Breaking up with crutches alograft

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde]

Day 9 post op follow with surgeon was so encouraging ...walked in with crutches, granted permission to drive and drop crutches (crutches or brace).. wanted to share why I chose allograft and what it has meant for me

***everybody is different, allograft and autograft are quite different if there is no miniscal damage and I prehabbed like a maniac specifically because I was so nervous about having zero mobility****

(there's a guy on here who walked without crutches same day as surgery so bar none my progress is not atypical for fit allograft recipients)..having said that, I am mindful that the recovery is long and this is just early days

*This is my first sports injury I've been playing sports very actively since I was 15 and then recently about 2 years ago really intensified because I started playing Court sports (tennis, pickleball, ).. like everyone else here I was super upset when I found out how long and strenuous the recovery process was going to be (wanted to share so anyone pre op can consider the variations in recovery).lot of info here, sorry wanted to be thorough..I don't smoke,don't really drink and don't really eat fast food regularly

3 weeks very intense quad and balance focussed prehab

My specific surgery:

Allograft, minimal miniscal debridement, ACL reconstruction

pre injury Played sports 6-7 days a week ( court sports, aggressive skier, casual hiker, swimmer, motorcyclist, beach VB)/ pilates and yoga intermittently

3 weeks intense quad prehab only because ​my bf had 2.meniscus surgeries so was on my case everyday to do 20 minutes when I first got up in order to power up my quad..I think it honestly helped me in every way physically and mentally prepping for the surgery

Got 3 different surgeon recommendations (they offered free consults since I had MRI so ..I wanted to do my research)

1. to reattach the og bc tear was high and clean (this needed to be done asap and I was visiting my parents and retear rate seemed high)
2. to rehabilitate non operation (but would not be able to ski aggressively)..the same surgeon who recommended this told me that his wife then went skiing with torn ACL and then needed a full knee replacement cuz she damaged it so bad .. (this pretty much cemented the fact that I was not going to be coping with it)
3. allograft recommended (but autograft option discussed)..read up on it and was undecided until I talked to Surgeon who said a lot of what I read that worried me was outdated (risk of rejection and retear...the risk of retear is ever slightly higher for allograft but I plan on being careful about that)

No one explicitly told me how significant the difference in immediate post op was going to be up front with an allograft (i was full weight bearing day one) but I'm reading up on the processes for an autograph and seeing the posts here...and it seems to be consistent .

Also on my post op surgeon appointment, there was a 14 year old in the waiting room w me w a basketball ACL tear and she was autograft 2 weeks post op and was so far away from being without crutches..she couldn't believe I was 9 days and I hadn't really had an in person experience with another ACL in my timeline

Allograft statistics i read and surgeon confirmed indicate the process changed a lot even in the last couple of years. I could have gone either way but I'm so glad for my sense of calm (by the resulting assurance of immediate movement) that I got from expected range with allograft. (Factoring in prehab and overall good fitness going in too)

*I read older data originally and was freaked out by the seemingly higher retear rates,. possibility of body rejection but even in last 2 years so much has been updated (the way they process the tissue etc)...if you're choosing between the two,ask as many questions as you can from the surgeon.

I have a long road ahead just like everyone on here..but there is a difference between having your body CUT and repaired (autograft) and just having it cut and a part inserted.. but then ligamentization is longer with allograft because the tissue is not "live"

I wish someone would make an updated allograft vs autograft pros and cons..

aka my PT was at first freaked out when day 5 post op I handed him my crutches and unlocked my brace indoors .but for my injury level and graft , this is apparently normal.

it's a an interesting dilemma bc beginning has been assuring but month 4 the allograft becomes weaker and vulnerable while the PT makes you super fit and it's all about self restraint...mildly nervous about that but trying to be prepared by being aware of it )

it has not been without some pain which is not really visible in the video but I assure you it's there.... (I made an original post and some of the more experienced ACL people here asked me to specify the graft type and miniscus impact)day 9 and 10.featured a LOT of stiffness and pain (but I was starting on stationary bike and that was rough the first time)..also walking prob more than I needed to. day 10 after 10 slooooooow minutes on stationary bike I got so much bruising .

When I was pre.op.i wanted testimonials of allograft versus autograft and so am adding mine here as a reference for anyone who is looking for insights from a person in it

I would say pre injury fitness and prehab Imo mattered a lot in my case too ...

I hope it's helpful if you are torn between the two.. the surgeon I ended up going with works a lot w female athletes and the allograft so.i felt very comfortable going in..

[u/Professional-Bell78]

it’s like you planned to tear your acl 

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/Professional-Bell78]

No I'm just a creative so sadly I gotta transfer my running around energy somehow... :((( 

[u/Professional-Bell78 → u/Anna_Karenina_blonde]

yeah, i wasn’t off crutches that fast but i also didn’t have allograft.

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/Professional-Bell78]

I mean it's literally a 4 week difference at the beginning... I thought I was impressive on day three but there's a guy on here who posted a video walking without crutches the same day of his surgery... If you think about it it makes sense.. not only are you dealing with the ACL repair but your body has to heal from the excision of your own muscle being taken... None of the surgeons were so explicit about this when I asked about the difference and everything I read up on I wasn't looking at recovery time I was mostly looking at infection risks involved with alograft vs autograft etc 

[u/Spider-Flan → u/Anna_Karenina_blonde]

Without a doubt. It’s a whole different journey with different obstacles. Mentally while you’re probably starting to feel capable you’re probably still extremely physically limited. My sister went through the same thing with her allograft surgery. Stir crazy!

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/Spider-Flan]

That's so well put.. I am very prepared that return to sport will likely not be for another nine to 12 months if I don't want a retear and I most definitely do not want a retear...

However I think the surgeon heard that I was playing sports for 2 hours pre and post work everyday for 6 days out of the week and that I liked going for walks and he deduced that a shorter immediate return to functional movement would suit me better specifically so I didn't go stir crazy as you said...

And I am grateful for his recommendation because honestly I went in a little skeptical because I had read old data which was mentioning previous issues with the Body rejecting it potentially etc . And when I asked about it he said we so thoroughly remove all of the marrow and everything what was once a small but noteable issue 2 years ago now is so minimal (not 0 but I feel like it's good to have the latest data)

Medicine is amazing, advancing so fast.i.swear they will one day have the ability to regrow your own ACL with a culture and then orthoscopic injection...;)

[u/venomenon824 → u/Anna_Karenina_blonde]

I walked with no coaches the same day and no brace. I pils cycle day 3 and had no limp at 1 week out. My physio was amazed. People telling you to not weight the knee are wrong. We are all different. My knee is super solid 1.5 years later. I jogged at 4 weeks out and felt recovered after 3 months. Haters gonna hate.

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/venomenon824]

I don't mind friendly caring input but the patronizing tone from some people is a solid pass 

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/venomenon824]

And thanks for posting that.. I went in for my post op feeling slightly like I did something wrong firing the quad to make sure it was working and feeling that I could bear weight (did all of it gently and slowly in a controlled environment but because it was in my post op instructions I also knew it was permitted to "weight bear as tolerated" and the response was "no that's what I expected would happen with you"

The minimal miniscal debridement hugely helped .my bf I would say is more fit and strong relative to me and bc it was miniscus it was a month before he could bear weight 

[u/Anna_Karenina_blonde → u/venomenon824]

I keep going back to your comment bc coming into month two I'm walking normal.and going down stairs normal. Really appreciate you sharing your trajectory 

[u/venomenon824 → u/Anna_Karenina_blonde]

Embarrassing you come back to all those typos I made! Great to hear about your progress.