ACL Reconstruction, Recovery and what to expect
Years after tearing my anterior cruciate ligament in a skiing accident, then completely rupturing it while trampoling, I finally decided to have it repaired. I was at a stage where it was unstable even when I was walking the kids to school, and was swelling up for no reason I could think of. I could do very little sport.
The surgeon told me that I would be walking without crutches the following day, but this did not happen, and it acutally caused an argument between me and the nurses when they said I needed crutches and I was adamant I didn’t.
From my experience you should expect to be bandaged up and on crutches for a few days so it makes sense to do any jobs such as going in to the loft before you go in. I didn’t have any real pain, but expect not to be able to drive a car for atleast two weeks, so get any appointments and shopping done beforehand. Really, you need to have someone about who can fetch and carry for you for about 3 days, as you will not be able to crouch, twist or put weight on your graft site. It’s normal to be limping for many weeks after the operation, and it can take up to week 12 before you can straighten it properly. Also, you are not going to be able to walk downstairs properly for many weeks, so be aware if you have a baby or small child to carry. Its usual to lose some sensation around the long incision (see photo) and the scars will slowly fade. The most difficult thing is to be patient and not overdo things.
The best advise I can give is to find a physio who really understands ACL reconstruction and follow what he or she says to the letter right from the beginning. Expect to have to do LOTS of physio exercises. In the first instance it will be mostly related to range of movement and muscle tensing, and you’ll wish you could do more. By about week 9 the amount of strength work you do will be increasing to the extent that it is worth joining a gym if possible, or atleast investing in some weights. Most people find that they lost muscle during the first few days of the operation, so building muscle back up is ultra important. I found the best ways of doing this were weighted squats and leg presses. If you can regain both range of movement and muscle, you may be up to jogging by week 12.