I have had a few journals on here as I was trying to compete at a high level as a post collegiate athlete. Now I’m facing my biggest challenge. Returning to the track after post operative ACL Reconstructive Knee Surgery. It may not seem like much of a challenge to most, but to me this will be one of my toughest goals and hopefully the most rewarding journey I’ll take. Here is a brief history of a few important things that most do not know.
Left Knee Surgery History October 1996 - Left Knee, ACL Reconstructive Surgery, Medial Meniscus Repair (Patella Tendon Graft)
October 2002 - Left Knee, ACL Screw Removal from tibia
March 2006 - Left Knee, Medial Meniscus Tear (Menisectomy)
December 17, 2010 - Left Knee ACL Reconstructive Surgery, Medial & Lateral Meniscus Tears (Menisectomy), Allograft
Summary of Injury
May, 2010 during a flag football game I got hit on the lateral side of the knee by a a guys shoulder. At the time I believed it was a charlie horse or just a thigh bruise. My knee was swollen and my orthopaedic after a lochman’s test said the ACL was fine. Our season ended a week later and I took time rest and recover. In September, after a couple months of training I had knee pain again and swelling. I ignored it and kept icing and taking an additional day off. As the pain persisted and more days needed to be taken off I finally talked with a couple of PT’s and they recommended that I go get it checked out to be safe. My family dr. ordered an MRI. The MRI came back showing that I had medial and lateral meniscus tears, cists on the cartilage, advanced arthritis and a chronic ACL tear. On the MRI my Orthopaedic saw there was no definitive tear in the ACL, but it was very wavy. I had two options. One was cortisone shot to the knee or a scope to see what is wrong. I declined the cortisone because I didn’t want to do long term damage to the knee be weakening any of the soft tissue so I thought surgery was a better option. Over the month after the decision and surgery date my Orthopaedic decided to do an ACL revision because the ACL had infact been weakened because it was so stretched, but it had also become detached from the screw in my femur from the initial surgery. Surgery was on December 17, 2010 in Downers Grove, IL.
I attached a photo of my knee after my first post op visit to my doctor. What you see is the from the medial side of my knee. The black mark at the top of my the pic is my where my knee cap is.
I hope that you find this journal interesting. It’s a little different from the norm, but I hope I am able to look back on this after I have reached my goals.
Regain quad and hamstring control by developing strength and flexibility
Developing overall flexibility for everyday life
Released to activity (4-6 months)
Able to return to flag football for conditioning (6 months) with athletic knee brace
2012 Track Goals
Compete Indoors in 2-4 meets
Compete Outdoors in 3-5 meets
55m Goal, 6.50
100m Goal, 11.00
For 31 years of age and 4 knee surgeries I think these goals are lofty, but attainable. I don’t believe that age will be the limiting factor by itself. I think when you place my age with my knee history that causes there to be some limitations.
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slides, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stetch, hold 10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Straight Leg Raises
15 minutes of ice with electronic stim
Home Session
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
10 minutes of ice with elevation
I have a polar care unit which is a cooler with ice water that is strapped to my knee in my immobolizer so I am constantly keeping it compressed, elevated and cool to reduce swelling and bruising.
Home Session [/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session III[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
Home Session[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Full Rotations on Stationary Bike x 8 minutes
Standing Right Leg Toe Touches - Front, Side & Back - Balance on L Knee
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds - 80 degress
2 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
Swiss Ball Flexion 2x15
2 sets of 10 Straight Leg Raise
5 sets of 20 seconds Supine Hamstring
Home Session I[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session II[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session I[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session I[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
I have been thinking about this for quite sometime now. When I am released to full activity, should I limit myself in the weight room? 4 knee surgeries and very little cartilage left in my knee. Should I move away from squats and do something with a hip sled instead? Should more explosive exercises like jump squats, clean, snatch etc and put my focus there? Thoughts anyone?
Home Session III[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
This implies that low to medium level strength training is what you want to do, and the sooner you can get up to 75% of the original strength level in the damaged leg, the sooner you can start to have “fun” again. Because most experts recommend against any kind of plyo until you have been strength training uninjured for a time, I would not be doing anything explosive like jump squats (which Charlie didn’t like even for healthy people) unless an expert approved.
I’ll definitely read that article. Thanks for the info. I really think that I’m just going to be rebuilding and will have to shift my training a little bit to stay healthy for the long term.
Home Session I[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds
Home Session I[/b]
3 sets of 10 Quad Sets, hold 5-10 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Knee Flexion, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Supine Heel Slide, hold 5 seconds
2 sets of 10 Prone Quad Sets, hold 5 seconds
1 set of 10 Straight Leg Raise
2 sets of 5 Supine Hamstring Stretch, hold 10 seconds