Knee damage?

[SkiDork]

Who here has knee damage and hasn't gotten it fixed yet?

I already have massive cartilege degeneration in my right knee along with a torn ACL - I've lived with it for 25 years skiing with just a brace.

Now, as a result of doing a kick turn on Low Rider this past March (of all things) I felt a pop - it looks like my good knee (left) ACL is completely torn as well. I'll be getting an MRI on Tuesday to confirm.

I can't really afford to have any sort of surgery right now.. I skied on the damn thing ever since it happened (March of 2006) with no ill effects.

The way I see it is: I'll get another Donjoy Defiance for the left knee (already have one for the right knee), and wait until I have good insurance and some time off to get the surgery. I don't think there's any downside to waiting...

Comments?

 

[ski_adk]

I've had my left ACL repaired with the hamstring autograph. The darn thing is stronger now than it used to be! Though, I've gotta admit, I have a nice barometer now. The worst part of the damage has been that the knee does get stiff on occasion, but I'm so used to it now that I mostly suck it up. Once in a while, I'll walk with a slight limp, but I don't really notice it (though others do).

The best medicine for my knee is cycling. I did a 20 mile ride last night and I feel awesome from it.

Dork, how old are you? I've read that after a certain age, surgery isn't really necessary anyways with a good workout routine and braces, etc.

 

[SkiDork]

I'm 45. Have to try to get on the stationary bike more often.. I't sorta boring...

 

[JimG.]

I've had my ACL and PCL replaced in my right knee; I had cartilage damage in there I lived with for 25 years, but when those 2 ligaments snapped surgery was the only way for me.

I'm always noticing how much stronger my knee feels since the surgery. I used to think it was because I work out harder since, but that's not the reason. The bad cartilage I had was slowly degenerating, becoming arthritic and throwing my knee out of alignment. The surgery fixed all of that.

Frankly, arthritis is your biggest enemy now, and that threat increases with age. Without the ACL, your knee cartilage will wear away and that can't be replaced yet. Don't wait too long.

 

[SkiDork]

Thanks for the info Jim. Hope to see you and ski with you (maybe get the kids together) next year.

 

[JimG.]

Thanks for the info Jim. Hope to see you and ski with you (maybe get the kids together) next year.

That will be nice.

 

[ChileMass]

Does anyone have any advice for ripped up shoulders? I have lived with cartilage damage in my left shoulder for 20-odd years and never had it repaired. Busted it up when I crashed at Whiteface in college and didn't have insurance, so just lived with it afterwards.

It hurts when I do shoulder-press lifts or push-ups. Even at low weights, after a while it seizes up, so it's hard to make it stronger over a long period.

Don't mean to hijack the thread - thought this was related........

 

[kingslug]

Does anyone have any advice for ripped up shoulders? I have lived with cartilage damage in my left shoulder for 20-odd years and never had it repaired. Busted it up when I crashed at Whiteface in college and didn't have insurance, so just lived with it afterwards.

It hurts when I do shoulder-press lifts or push-ups. Even at low weights, after a while it seizes up, so it's hard to make it stronger over a long period.

Don't mean to hijack the thread - thought this was related........

I've had the same prob for over 20 years with my left, about 6 years with my right. My left has seperated prolly 30 to 40 times, my right about 10, last time skiing with DMC at hunter. They wanted to do surgery but I'm not into it. I hit the gym 3 times a week and as long as I don't put them in certain positions they are fine. Just keep building up the muscles and be careful when you fall, try to keep the arms near you're body instead of throwing them out there. This is kind of hard to do though.

 

[JimG.]

Does anyone have any advice for ripped up shoulders? I have lived with cartilage damage in my left shoulder for 20-odd years and never had it repaired. Busted it up when I crashed at Whiteface in college and didn't have insurance, so just lived with it afterwards.

It hurts when I do shoulder-press lifts or push-ups. Even at low weights, after a while it seizes up, so it's hard to make it stronger over a long period.

Don't mean to hijack the thread - thought this was related........

Uuuggghhhhh! Shoulders. I tore my rotator cuff in my left shoulder years ago and never had it repaired. I just live with it and I can count on it aching frequently. I know alot of skiers who have bum shoulders. I don't know many who have had surgery.

Unless it's falling apart, alot of orthopedists just tell you to do some physical therapy and live with it. Similar to back surgery, the effectiveness of shoulder surgery is still hit or miss and can sometimes make things worse.

 

[RISkier]

I think the biggest problem with not gettin the ACL repaired is that you tend to do more long term damage to the knee because of the instability.

 

[JimG.]

I think the biggest problem with not gettin the ACL repaired is that you tend to do more long term damage to the knee because of the instability.

That's what I noticed; after my injury but before surgery, the medial meniscus I had damaged years earlier but that had never really bothered me went downhill fast. And it was because of instability, the bones rubbing together.

The surgeon who fixed my knee is doing research on artificial cartilage. Right now, once it's gone that's it, so if he is successful it will be a breakthrough discovery.

 

[AHM]

Instability can be measured..........

Have a KTKSS run on your knees. This will determine the stop point of the ACL less knee and compare it to the good knee. If the stop point is small, then often surgery cannot reconstruct to a better number. I have no ACL in my left knee. Had it repaired in 92 and it did not completely take. I use a DonJoy 4 point ACL supersport (NFL Brace) and really have no problem. The ACL cavity is full of osteocites now (bone) and this actually provides some stabilization. There is some stiffness after a bunch of mogul skiing (> 30,000 verts), but at 44 years old, I am not complaining.

Overall, by keeping in good off season shape, you can keep the problem minimized and still ski. Currently, I have about 30 degrees less flexibility in the bad knee, but this is not a real problem

Shoulder guy: Go to PT (Physical Therapy). This helped me significantly when I tore the rotator cuff about 6 years ago. Now it's just regular weight training specific for the 4 muscles in the cuff to keep it strong. AHM

 

[SkiDork]

Actually this is my good knee that just had the problem. My other knee has been cooked for some 25 years. No medial meniscus and no ACL

 

[Sparky]

I blew out my ACL 13 years ago doing Judo. After an MRI my ortho guy told me the ACL was gone, as in would have to be replaced, and my MCL was torn but would repair itself. However he did not see any damage to my cartilage, so after the MCL repaired itself he said the knee was as tight as it would be with surgery. His advice was to "go do what you do. If you blow it out completely then we"ll do surgery" I like this guy. So I took his advice and did a lot of PT and a lot of work on my own. Mostly rollerblading and Mountain biking. Right now my "bad" knee is stronger then my "good" knee. I don't think this would work for everybody, but I have been skiing on it for 13 years on it without a brace. I think the best thing for it was the rollerblading, that realy seems to strengthen the hamstrings. Good luck with whatever you deside.

 

[2knees]

i find these threads fascinating in that there is no one way that the knee reacts without an acl. I've blown both, and absolutely had to have them fixed. I couldnt walk down stairs the first time without me knee buckling. The second time, i waited a couple of years and still had the "trick knee" syndrome. while skiing and playing hoops. It got to the point where i just accepted the feeling of a dislocated knee. there was no way i was going to ski at a reasonably aggressive level without getting them fixed. And to this day, my left knee, the second one, is still a piece of crap. It went out on me this year, although that is another story. Good luck dork and i hope it works out like your other leg.

 

[dirtbagking]

Get it fixed

I had the cartilidge in both knees removed. Both times it was needed as they were locked. I'm glad they did it. My knees work again. I had the rotator cuff in my left shoulder go out on me about 3 years ago. It took over a year of PT to get it so I could pick up the 6 pack and put it on the table. Last year I fell while slid slipping a downhill course. I was really moving when I saw some snow that needed to be pushed off course and when my edge caught I shattered the ball off my humerus into 13 pieces. They did not operate since everything sort of went back into place. I spent the summer in PT but in September it still didn't work so they operated and found that the big ligament that comes over the top to form most of the rotator cuff ( supra spenadeas ) was gone. They repaired that and with another 10 weeks in PT I was able to ski again without pain or problems. Surgery is tough when you don't have time or money but it does work. It just takes ALOT of agony at the gym. Good luck!

 

[andyzee]

So Dork, get the MRI?

 

[SkiDork]

So Dork, get the MRI?

I got the MRI. Not sure how long until the doc has the results, and if he'll tell me them on the phone.

 

[Skifastsailfast]

Ditto on get it fixed

Blew my R ACL out five years ago at age 42. Was told I could either get it fixed, go thru six months intensive rehab, and continue an active lifestyle or not get it fixed and get arthritis prematurely. I got it fixed.

It's important, even if you get it fixed, to keep in shape. I can always tell when I'm slipping because it will get a little sore and stiff. I am missing a fair amount of medial meniscus (they had to cut out the torn part - displaced bucket handle tear, so it was bad. So that's my biggest issue.

Can't wait till they perfect artificial cartilege/meniscus. Meantime, I do take glucosamine/condroitin daily.

If you're in Maine, Orthopaedic Associates or Maine Orthopaedics (both in Portland) are excellent.