This is a reinjury from a prior ACL repair. It’s been 5 1/2 years since I had the ACL repaired. It was a Taekwondo injury the first time. I had a donor graft. My recovery went very well. I skied on it, hiked many, many miles, & returned to Taekwondo. Recently received my 4th degree blackbelt. On New Year’s Eve, I was wearing flip flops & carrying boxes down the stairs with both hands full. Fell 3-4 steps from the bottom & rode the rest of the way find on my butt with my legs straight out. When I got to the bottom, there was a pain in my leg, but not unbearable. I was a bit nauseous & things went black for a second even though I didn’t hit my head. Didn’t feel like my prior tear. Waited a few weeks & no pain but instability when pivoting or turning quickly. These are my MRI results from today. It seems like they are speculating that the graft is re-torn, but don’t seem 100% sure. Meeting with doctor again next Thursday. What do you think about notes below? Look bad? I’m 5.5 years older now, & 10-15 lbs heavier. I really cringe at the thought of repeat surgery. I will definitely be retiring from Taekwondo now, but I still have lots of hiking, walking, etc that I want to do. I’m too young to quit being active. Feeling bummed…
As someone that also re-injured the knee I can sympathize with you. Mine was 2 years and 3 days apart. Like you my second fall wasn’t near as painful as my first. I think the report doesn’t look to bad. I am no expert but was told that many times if you re-injury you end up with meniscus problems also. Looks like the meniscus is good. That is very positive. The contusion is just a fancy word for bruising. That should heal itself. My second injury gave me a bucket handle (full thickness meniscus tear) along with the ACL. I have surgery 2/15. Good luck and I hope it isn’t as bad as it feels.
I also had a partial MCL & meniscus tear the first time. So, at least I don’t have that again. I hope your surgery goes well. I so don’t want to have to deal with all this again.
I was also devastated. I still have ptsd from my first injury. I guarded me knee so much. I am a very clumsy person and the knee injury was the worst thing I ever experienced, now I get to experience it twice. Lucky us!
the long recovery & frustrating physical therapy were much worse than the actual injury or surgery to me. My c-sections were way more painful. I just hate being slowed down. I am trying to wrap up research for my Masters thesis & I start clinical rotations in the fall for my dietetic internship. So, I don’t have time to deal with all this. Of course, there’s never a good time to be injured.
I tore my ACL two years ago never had the surgery and through physical therapy am back to 100%! I am not an athlete though! Definitely no taekwondo for me… But there are lots of people in the non-surgery Facebook group who have returned to skiing taekwondo football etc. without surgery…