Cruciate ligaments :

Possible cruciate damage - any ideas? - - Posted by Vicky (Vicky), 19 February 2003

I am new to this website and I am hoping that someone may be able to help me or give me some advise.

Nine years ago I injured my left knee and the specialist at Cambridge is still trying to find out what is wrong, my symptoms are:  Pain under my knee cap but also on the left side of my knee and it is tender at the top of the tibula (may have splet this wrong).  Recently the pain has become much worse, as I am now on crutches as I collapsed, and I have now been told that I have got cruciate damage to my right knee, I have been told that my right knee collapsed due to the stress of not being able to put all of my weight onto my left.  I am quite scared if I have to have an operation, I do not understand what they will do.

If anyone can answer some of my questions that would be great.

Look forward to hearing from you

Thanks,    Vicky
Posted by Shazinoz (Shazinoz), 20 February 2003

Look up ACL (ANterior Cruciate Ligament) reconstruction  this is the most commonly injured cruciate but it could also be PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) on the internet. I personally have had my Left knee ACL reconstructed twice and have injured it a 3rd time. This is BY NO MEANS NORMAL so don't panic, I have a genetic connective tissue disorder that makes it very very easy for me to tear and snap and stretch ligamnets.
Now as to what to expect (FrOm My Experience), if it is a reconstruction, you will be put to sleep (General Anasthetic) and they will reapir/ replace the ligament , usually using either hamstring  or Patella tendon as a replacement) you will have a cut about 2 inches or so down the front of your knee and a few little portal holes (fromt he arthroscope), you will probably have a drain in your knee to limit fluid and such build up in your knee, you could be in an immobiliser (brace that locks ytour leg straight) this seem to depend on country and OS's opinion/discretion.
You will have a drip/IV in you arm to intorduce fluids and pain medication.
THey will get you up out of bed the day of or day after your surgery (again this seems to vary) and be taught how to walk with the crutches.
7-10days later you will get your stitches out and have your 1st post op consult with your OS.
You could be in hospital just overnight or maybe a few days.
You will be on no or limited weightbearing for about 4-6 weeks and in  the immonbiliser (if you are in one) about this long too.
You will start PT about 1 day after the surgery with just very simple things like feet and ankle wiggling/ pumping to keep circulation going, and some quad contractions (just tighteneing and loosening the muscles).
Hope this helps everything will depend on how you OS does hi work, what his preferences are post op, what they actually find when they get tin there and other factors like this.
Good Luck
Sharon
Posted by Vicky (Vicky), 20 February 2003

Hi Sharon

Thank you for your advise it is very appreciated to know that someone else knows what I am talking about.

I am sorry to hear that you have damaged your knee for the 3rd time and I hope that everything goes well.

Vicky
Posted by Netty (Netty), 21 February 2003

Hi Vicki,
Like Sharon, I have had 3 recons and awaiting a 4th. 2 of them were ACL's using Hamstring grafts and this next one will be with a patella graft from both legs to fix my bad left knee. Its hard to say which is the best type to use, Ive heard good and bad experiences with both methods. My new OS is adamant that the patella is the best but my other 2 surgeons said the hammy was best. Who do you listen to.
What they do basically is take a graft from the hammy or patella and drill a hole through your knee joint and insert the graft through and fix it there with screws or pins, this is supposed to stabilize the the knee. There  are some good pictures of the operation and how they perform each one in this site. Dont let the actual op scare you, its all done while your asleep and you dont feel a thing, its the after op thats a bit hard to cope with for a while but they have good meds to get you through it. Hope all goes well, Netty
Posted by Dennis_Devine (Dennis_Devine), 21 February 2003

Hi Vicky,

 I myself an mow 1 week post op from a PCL reconstruction. My OS went with an AlloGraft (a graft from a donor cadaver). This is another way to go as it minimizes the need to cut, and from what I hear can help wth the recovery process.

 As for pain meds, if you email me, I will send you a couple of pics of me in the hospital holding the prcious little button that administered morphine every 10 minutes so long as i pushed the button.

 As Netty said, try not to let any surgery affect you before the actual proceedure. I let myself get hyped up about to thepoint where I did not sleep very well for days before the surgery. For the most part, the pain in gone in the knee with the exception of some minor discomfort and the occasional sprts of pain, but for the most part I feel a lot better npw than when I went in for surgery.

 If I can answer any mroe questions for you please feel free to ask.

Dennis
Posted by Vicky (Vicky), 21 February 2003

Hi All

Thank you so much for your advice.  I have however just returned from seeing the specialist at cambridge, he has said that I do not have any form of damage, but the proplem is that my knee caps keep dislocating and there is nothing that they can do.

I have got to use crutches for the next 5 to 6 weeks to get the strength back.  And if it happens again then I have got to go back on the crutches.

Any ideas on the best types of exercise I can do?

Vicky

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