stuarty Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) I've trained and competed at Tae Kwon-Do since I was a young lad. I've always been very fortunate to only have had minor injuries up to a few years ago. I was competing at a International level in the Scotland squad when I ruptured my ACL, after around 6 months I had to have a full ACL reconstruction using hamstring grafts. The Surgeon basically harvested hamstring grafts from my right leg and used them to reconstruct my snapped ACL by drilling lots of holes in my bones and securing the grafts in place with plastic screws. This soon proved to be a bad idea because 3 months after I started back training i started to get severe grinding in my right knee. The surgeon suspected that I had a bit of scar tissue trapped in my knee joint next to my IT band. After lots of Physio and no progress, I was sent for another MRI scan, which revealed I had snapped one of the plastic screws the surgeon had put in my knee. So I had to have a second operation to have the broken screw removed. Everything's been great for the last 18 months and my Tae Kwon-Do training has been great. I usually train strength and conditioning 4 mornings a week and TKD 3 nights. I also train every other night at BJJ and afterwards do some Boxing, Thai Boxing or MMA. It sounds a lot but I've built up to this over many years and I train with top MMA fighters and an ex world champion pro boxer. I really love my martial arts and I'm really addicted to my BJJ nowadays as it's less demanding on my knee. Around 6 weeks ago I was sparring some heavy Thai rounds when I felt my knee crack but I had no pain. I decided to call it a night and drove 10 miles home. When I got home I got out my car and my knee collapsed, I've honestly never felt pain like it! I lay in my drive in the *****ng rain for 15 minutes before I could phone my wife. My wife and son couldn't move me (16 stone of Aberdeen Angus), so I ended up in the back of an ambulance. A few weeks later I had to have another MRI scan which revealed I have torn the meniscus in my knee. So I have to have a second operation to repair the damage. It feels like my leg locks and the pain is unbearable every time I move a certain way. Surgeon said that this is the loose cartilage touching my bone! So I'm laid up, bored out my nut, annoying everyone on here with patter! Has anyone else ever had anything like this and how long did it take before you started training again? Edited April 4, 2014 by stuarty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Had both but at the same time. Meniscus torn and acl snapped. Meniscus tidied up when they put the scope in to assess the acl damage and acl reconstruction using patella tendon. My surgeon said that whilst the hamstring graft is far more popular with many surgeons his feeling was that the patella tendon was far stronger. Took me 6-9 months to be playing football again and if I train REALLY hard in it now I'll still get a little swelling around the knee cap. Other than that though it's been perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 As for meniscus recovery......3 months I reckon. The more they take away the quicker you recover but the more likely it is you'll have damage to the bone in later life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14N Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 This is my knee. I broke my leg just below the knee joint in a motorcycle accident bit also damaged the ligaments as my knee bent in a direction it's not meant to The reason I'm sharing this is it also stopped me from TKD training. It's never been 'right' since (the metal work is still in there) and I have not returned to TKD. I did try, but it just never felt strong enough. You have my empathy and sympathy mate. Although I never reached the level you have at TKD, I do really miss it. I wish you a fast recovery Sir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panman Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I took a low tackle in rugby when i was 23. folded my knee 90deg the wrong way, tore and shredded my acl - and lost the meniscus, which was found on the other side of the knee. The operation was a little painful and i was told it would be better not to play again. Sod that. I'm 38 now and still play rugby and have been a kickboxer for over 15 years. Get it sorted. and get back training. The knee surgeons these days are amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Ruptured ACL rollerblading back in the 90s. Was serving at the time. Leg swelled up like a balloon. Had a lot of physio to strengthen the leg and it did a good job. 2 years later saw the surgeon and he basically gave me the choice but what clinched for me was the younger you are, the easier and faster you recover. My ACL was repaired via hamstring but instead od screws the surgeon used some bone and the operation was a total success. He advised not to take the p*ss and be sensible on what I did so the contact sports stopped and I went down the triathlon sports route and now aged 50 get by on spin classes and swimming a few times a week. The knee is a strong as ever and have also played a bit of squash but the key was the pre and post op physio. Hurt like hell at the time but my advice would be. Be sensible and don't take the p*ss. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy_Baton Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Cycling and rock climbing sorted me out, about as low impact as you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I see why you cancelled the 370 test drive now stuarty. Never had any injury like this ~ closest I've come is after I crashed & rolled one of my cars down a local hill at speed when I was younger. In the crash I dislocated my shoulder badly but because of the shock & possibly being KO'd for few seconds I didn't realize. Thought I'd got lucky and only suffered cut's & bruise's in the crash but a few months later I painfully dislocated my shoulder whilst closing a door of all things. Managed to pop my shoulder back in place myself at home (not at all like Mel Gibson did in Lethal Weapon I may add) by ignoring the pain, trying to relax & gently letting the muscle pull itself back into place with me gently pushing. Still being 20 years old at the time and super tuff, I carried on. Didn't even visit the doctors. It was only after I dislocated my shoulder a further two times over the following 12 months that I finally went to the doctors. Ended up having an MRI scan (they injected some dye in my shoulder), Xrays and they decided it had been left too long to operate. I had broken some bone clean off from my shoulder and my body had weirdly compensated for my injury, developing some of the largest muscles the doctors had seen in some strange places. I had to go through physio at the hospital for over a year with continued physio at home (basically lifting weights in special ways to re-develop shoulder muscles where they should be) for several years. Suffered spasms & pain in my shoulder for years afterwards but nowadays it's pretty good tbh. Good luck with the knee injury stuarty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 This is my knee. I broke my leg just below the knee joint in a motorcycle accident bit also damaged the ligaments as my knee bent in a direction it's not meant to The reason I'm sharing this is it also stopped me from TKD training. It's never been 'right' since (the metal work is still in there) and I have not returned to TKD. I did try, but it just never felt strong enough. You have my empathy and sympathy mate. Although I never reached the level you have at TKD, I do really miss it. I wish you a fast recovery Sir Holy moly, that's nasty. No wonder you never got back! Respect for trying though! Kwon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) I took a low tackle in rugby when i was 23. folded my knee 90deg the wrong way, tore and shredded my acl - and lost the meniscus, which was found on the other side of the knee. The operation was a little painful and i was told it would be better not to play again. Sod that. I'm 38 now and still play rugby and have been a kickboxer for over 15 years. Get it sorted. and get back training. The knee surgeons these days are amazing. Good advice, I'll be back in no time! Edited April 4, 2014 by stuarty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Ruptured ACL rollerblading back in the 90s. Was serving at the time. Leg swelled up like a balloon. Had a lot of physio to strengthen the leg and it did a good job. 2 years later saw the surgeon and he basically gave me the choice but what clinched for me was the younger you are, the easier and faster you recover. My ACL was repaired via hamstring but instead od screws the surgeon used some bone and the operation was a total success. He advised not to take the p*ss and be sensible on what I did so the contact sports stopped and I went down the triathlon sports route and now aged 50 get by on spin classes and swimming a few times a week. The knee is a strong as ever and have also played a bit of squash but the key was the pre and post op physio. Hurt like hell at the time but my advice would be. Be sensible and don't take the p*ss. Yeah, Physio was intense for me too. I had a lot of support after op. Best thing was the Cyro cuff and I had a machine that moved my leg back and forward for 8 hours a day. But my problem is that I cant do 75%! The week before I tore my cartilage i was squatting 190kg and leg pressing 390kg. Not bad considering i had an ACL reconstruction a few years earlier. But that's me had my warnings, I've been training TKD since I was a kid and I'm 40 this year, so I'd rather train light than not at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarty Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) I see why you cancelled the 370 test drive now stuarty. Never had any injury like this ~ closest I've come is after I crashed & rolled one of my cars down a local hill at speed when I was younger. In the crash I dislocated my shoulder badly but because of the shock & possibly being KO'd for few seconds I didn't realize. Thought I'd got lucky and only suffered cut's & bruise's in the crash but a few months later I painfully dislocated my shoulder whilst closing a door of all things. Managed to pop my shoulder back in place myself at home (not at all like Mel Gibson did in Lethal Weapon I may add) by ignoring the pain, trying to relax & gently letting the muscle pull itself back into place with me gently pushing. Still being 20 years old at the time and super tuff, I carried on. Didn't even visit the doctors. It was only after I dislocated my shoulder a further two times over the following 12 months that I finally went to the doctors. Ended up having an MRI scan (they injected some dye in my shoulder), Xrays and they decided it had been left too long to operate. I had broken some bone clean off from my shoulder and my body had weirdly compensated for my injury, developing some of the largest muscles the doctors had seen in some strange places. I had to go through physio at the hospital for over a year with continued physio at home (basically lifting weights in special ways to re-develop shoulder muscles where they should be) for several years. Suffered spasms & pain in my shoulder for years afterwards but nowadays it's pretty good tbh. Good luck with the knee injury stuarty. Offt, I've dislocated a few shoulders in my time (not my own) and it's never nice! Edited April 4, 2014 by stuarty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I'm not going to lye, it does hurt "a little" when you do it stuarty. Think I have a fairly high pain thresh hold for some things though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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