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Author Topic: Tore my PCL  (Read 1321 times)

Offline Brintapap

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Tore my PCL
« on: November 22, 2011, 01:31:49 PM »
Hi there,

I never wanted to become a knee guru, but i guess i have to now :)

On 07-09-11 i tore my PCL according to the orthopedic surgeon. According to him it was an isolated (complete) tear with maybe some minor meniscus damage. I'm a competitive cyclist and train about 5 times a week so i guess that I'm that i have developed strong quad muscles because i still can do most things, running is a bit tricky though. On 5-12-11 I'm scheduled for a new appointment with an OS who has more experience with PCL injuries.

I'm kind of wondering if an MRI can be inconclusive, because I have small pains at the back of my knee which seem to increase over time when i "test" my sag by putting my leg on a table and relaxing it. Could it be that something is trying to get back? I also have the feeling that the sag is becoming visually less, but maybe thats just an illusion.

I also read some blogs by people who had PCL tears. And in a lot of instances people tell that they regret not having surgery earlier on, so i guess I'm leaning towards the surgery so can continue racing, which I absolutely love.

Kind regards,

W.
 
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iain

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Re: Tore my PCL
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2011, 01:44:42 PM »
Hi Brintapap
I'm 14 months post a Pcl recon .  Original tear 11 years ago.

Also a cyclist, I never ran post the injury.
To answer your question: MRI is quite accurate for acute Pcl injuries - not so for chronic older tears ( prone to false negatives the longer time post injury).

Are you questioning the extent of your tear? Pcls do have the capacity to rejoin but sometimes only unsubstantially and without he tautness required.  Muscle strength will also mask the extent of the sag.  Usually in the uk, recon of an isolated Pcl will only be considered if degenerative changes are visible.  This is also dependent on your OS - keep in mind there are few OS's in the south west who regularly perform Pcl recons.  This affects the decision for treatment greatly .  I had to to Southmead hospital

In my experience a completely torn Pcl won't stop you racing.  It might speed up damage to your patella-femoral joint though.  It might help to improve/increase your cadence and to reduce your gearing somewhat.  Mashing big gears slowly will put more force into a now unstable joint
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Offline Brintapap

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Re: Tore my PCL
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2011, 02:25:15 PM »
Hi Iain,

It's good to hear something from another cyclist who has been there. I went to our club's race/cross yesterday to take some pictures, which i enjoyed, and spoke to someone who also had a PCL tear. He has lived 20 years without it, but says, if he had the choice to operate he would have. 20 years ago reconstruction was something that was only reserved for elite athletes according to him.

I'm based in the Netherlands so i have no clue if dutch doctors are more prone to operate. I guess it's best to wait until I've had my appointment. Do you think it's wise to chase reconstruction as a preventive measure?

Thanks for your reply,

W.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2011, 03:37:38 PM by Brintapap »
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Offline bolanbiker

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Re: Tore my PCL
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2012, 08:07:05 PM »
Brintapap:

Curious if you've had your appointment yet. I'm a cyclist, too, and have suffered from chondromalacia and peroneal nerve palsy, both of which I suspect is from PCL laxity. It took a couple of years before I figured out what was going on (several OSs, including one renowned one, never did) and started using bracing, so I managed to do more damage while cycling 5000+ miles a year. With bracing, I'm able to ride about 10,000 miles a year, but the bracing is a pain, and eventually, seems to be less effective.

Strong quads help with stability, but if your hamstrings are active on the upstroke,the tibia gets yanked backwards. I was able to cycle reasonably for about an hour unbraced before the leg just quit working. It's pretty disconcerting when it feels like your pernoneal nerve is going to quit working in the middle of a paceline (for me and for the poor fools stuck behind me).

Given the improving technique in PCL reconstruction, I'd consider it. When I tore things up over 10 years ago, bracing was the only option. My experience is that there is a risk of doing more damage with PCL laxity.

Regards,
the bolanbiker
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Ultra-marathon cyclist
LK victim of phone cord 2/00
Chondroplasty sometime in 2000/01
LR in 2004
? PCL tear (who knows)
fastest one-legged cyclist in town :-)

Offline 2wnut

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Re: Tore my PCL
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2012, 05:08:30 PM »
I just wanted to share my experience. I was living in Canada in 1991 when I tore my PCL and never had it looked at. Young and stupid. I could tell nothing was broken and 10 months later started playing soccer again. In 2004 playing soccer again, I was hit and hurt my knee again. I was living the the USA and had my knee MRIed to see what I had done. They told me may PCL was gone from my previous injury and that I might have some other damage that they can not see without going in. They told me you can get it operated on but it isn't an easy surgury and that there was no proof that more damage will occur without a PCL. I was thinking is he treating me as an unactive adult or one that plays and does everything. I got another opinion and still I wasn't made to feel like the operation was a cake walk by the physician. I wanted to find the right doctor. Well in 2011 I had my knee come out of place and back again while wearing my custom made Donjoy Defiance. The brace fits perfectly but with so much damage it was no match. I couldn't even golf for 8 months, let alone do anything else. I couln't play soccer or mountain climb anymore even after my knee healed. Way too much play everywhere.
I moved to CO and with so many sports and olympic teams here I figured this was the perfect place to get my knee repaired. I had my PCL replaced, ACL femur and catilage repaired. That was only 3 months ago but I am glad to finally get it done.

I really want to tell people if you are involved in high impact sports or are an athlete, the stresses that are put on a knee even if you are fit are enormous. Please get the knee repaired because odds are that more damage will be done in the future because of the excess play. Also when we sprain our ankles or damage anything else, we then get out of shape which loosens the knee. Then when you try to get into shape, bang you hurt your knee again.
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