If you don’t really care about the story and just want to know about recovery skip down to the part with the pretty pictures
Back in September I completely tore my ACL and MCL in my knee playing football. It was pretty dumb because it wasn’t during an impressive play or big tackle, I wasn’t even really involved. I was going into support a tackle, but after my teammate made the tackle they rolled right into my extended leg. My cleats dug into the dirt and the inertia of my body created two fulcrums, and just like a snapping a toothpick by the middle, my leg snapped at the knee.
The damage was severe: I completely tore my MCL at the insertion, ripping a chunk of the tibia (shinbone) off, complete rupture of the ACL, and bruising at the base of the femur (thigh bone). In the heat of the moment it wasn’t too bad; I felt a bit of a pop, then suddenly I couldn’t put weight on it and collapsed to the ground.
Fast forward to November and I had my first surgery! I had my MCL stapled to the tibia. But that’s a story for another time.
Fast forward again a couple months to the end of March and we’re lying on the bed in the ER. It was going to be over soon and my road to recovery would be on its last stretch (although it’s probably more like finishing the swimming part of a triathlon). Here is a visualization and explanation of the procedure. We wake up. I can’t feel my knee but that’s normal. We’re alive which means the anesthesiologist didn’t screw up. Grateful. I start range of motion right away. And here is where we break it down.
OBVIOUS WARNING THAT I HAVE NO MEDICAL TRAINING (DUH) AND THIS IS ALL JUST AN ANECDOTAL ACCOUNT OF MY EXPERIENCES
Day 0 (Day of surgery): Instruction: Weight bear as tolerated, rest, ice, compress, elevate (RICE). When I got home I did one set of heel slides (bending and straightening my leg by sliding my heel) and it was quite painful. There was a lot of swelling and the knee felt very restricted thus range of motion could not be accurately measured. I began taking the pain medication as indicated and was on two crutches for the first week.
Day 1-2: I continued my RICE regiment range of motion heel slide exercise and from what I could tell, it looked like 35-40 degrees extension (relative to axis perpendicular to thigh), and 10-20 degrees flexion (same axis as extension). On day 2 (two days after surgery) I tried walking without crutches and it was uncomfortable but doable. I could walk short bursts with a stiff leg meaning I had a completely off gait. My left hamstring was very sensitive because that is where the graft came from, but that’s a story for another time.
Day 3-6: Continue RICE and range of motion exercises. Range of motion is consistently improving; extension is approximately 50-60 degrees, flexion is 20-30 degrees. I stopped taking my painkillers on day 3. I completely stopped and that was probably a bad idea because I think I suffered from some withdrawal symptoms (possibly nocebo).
Day 7, one week in!: I unexpectedly met with my surgeon because my Steri-strips were peeling off and there was a red thing hanging open to the air. I had also been getting mild fevers in the afternoon so we were worried. He said we have nothing to really worry about and that the scar is forming nicely. Range of motion is continuously getting better. 60-70degrees extension, 35degrees flexion.
Day 8-14: Everything is going well. I stopped using the one crutch and RICEing on day 10ish. On that same day I go to physio and he tells me to do basically what I’ve been doing although he did add two more exercises: straight leg extension (flexing the leg with a towel under the knee) and lateral leg raise lifting the leg from the hips while on your side). All but one of the incision sites have closed. Range of motion is where it should be at 70-80degrees, 45-50degrees flexion. Swelling has gone down quite a bit. I have been gently massaging the quadriceps muscles to try to work out any stiffness.
END OF PHASE I, BEGINNING OF PHASE II
Day 15-21 (week 3): Physio exercises continue and there is no real pain with the incision anymore. My ability to walk is returning. On the three week mark I see my physio again and he adds the front leg raise (raise leg upward while lying on my back) and the squat. These exercises are meant to strengthen the muscles in the leg. This is good. It feels like everything is almost back to normal. I expect this progress to continue and hopefully I will transition nicely through the other phases. Stay tuned, more updates will come.
Sources: F
