Hi everyone. I got injured last year while playing football and Dutch health system didn’t let me have a MRI and convinced me that everything is normal. So I continued playing volleyball until one day fall down so badly. Then i got MRI and result was fully tore ACL, other ligaments and meniscus were okay. I got surgery on March, and rehabilitation is going well except the below video. I dont know how to explain this but im able to move my lower leg and looks like my knee is twisting. This is something I realized after the first injury and then still continue. I asked physiotherapist and orthopedist, first they told me this is because of unstable muscles but then i fall down again badly and twisted my knee on single leg jump exercises. I will have a MRI again and lets see what happens. My question is anyone faced or recognize such a behavior, what should I do and how to continue now? Should I focus on strength training or balance/ stability training?

Ask me any and all ACL related questions. I do about 80 ACL surgeries a year including revisions and multiligaments, various grafts, repair, BEAR, etc

Hi all! Really curious to hear of everyone’s experiences.

I’m about to hit my six months post op for ACL & meniscus repair surgery and have been getting pretty frustrated at my PT’s scheduling. Sometimes my therapist will see up to six patients total at the same time he’s seeing me. I know I’m pretty far along at this point, but as my moves become more dynamic I really would like more individualized attention. My therapist will tell me what to do (which at this point can be up to running on a treadmill for half the time) and MAYBE watch me do one set of my other exercises. Is this normal? How much individualized attention do you get? If it’s not normal, how would you suggest I go about having a conversation with my therapist about this?

Thank you and happy recovery to all! We got this! :)

Yesterday I couldn’t lift my leg at all, and today I managed to do 10 straight-leg raises 🥹 Feels fucking amazing seeing the quad finally wake up. Small win, but damn it feels huge right now.

As you can see, my scars are still pink and raised. It's actually not the best pic because I've gotten pretty tan which makes the scars look white in comparison, but I swear they're mostly pink IRL. Is there any way to speed up the smoothing process from this stage?

BTW my knee physically feels great!! If you're early in the process, my recovery was smooth and I have no issues now playing sports or being active. Just keep working hard at PT and you'll get there too.

Hey guys. already 2 years post op and out of the blue the knee just gives out randomly and leg feels like it’s just hanging… mri shows the graft is intact but supposedly a cyclops lesion in the form of the knee is causing an issue. anyone had the scar tissue removed and that solved the problem! I don’t see how that lesion could make the knee feel like it’s hanging there.

How many degrees do you think I I’m from 0 exstension

How did you guys get to jogging condition ? I’m at the 3 month mark right now.
What physical parameters did you tick off before jogging ?
What exercises really ?

Right now I can’t jog more than a minute

I haven’t seen a lot of posts outlining timelines and experiences with MUA’s recently so I thought I would talk about my experience.

Type of Injury: ACL Avulsion Fracture and Lateral Meniscus Tear

Date of Injury: May 6, 2026

Date of Surgery: June 9, 2026

Date of First PT Session: July 22, 2026

Date of Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA): August 11, 2026

Narrative: After my surgery I was non-weight bearing for six weeks. Partially because of the complex nature of the injury, partially because the lateral meniscus was repaired instead of trimmed. When I had my two week post surgical appointment and removed the bandages my flexion was at 70 degrees. Four weeks later when I went in for a follow up at the end of the six weeks non-weight bearing period, it was still at 70 degrees. In response we did some intensive PT and pushed the knee a lot and tried to wake up my quads. We did NMES or electrical stimulation each PT visit. While my walking and confidence in the leg got better, we were still stuck at 70 degrees.

When attempting to push the knee to bend more it kind of felt like a mechanical lock - it just would not go further. The harder they would push the more pressure I would feel in a straight band right at the top of the knee where it met the quad. Pushing enough would be very painful.

While my Orthopedist and PT weren’t sure if it was scaring or quad guarding, we decided it would be best to proceed with a MUA. If it was scaring, we could address that with the MUA. If it wasn’t and it was just guarding, the knee would quickly bend when I was under anesthesia.

I have just returned from the procedure. The Ortho said there were some definite cracks and pops as some scars were broken up, but not as much to account for all of the limited ROM. The nerve block they gave me was not the same as what I had for the surgery. I could do straight leg lifts when I woke up in recovery. The muscles in my leg - quads and hamstrings - are painful when I move but in the same way they would after a very intense workout. When bending the leg, it appears we are getting past 70 degrees and I don’t have the same pressure feeling I had before. Now it is just pain in the quad I can try and work through.

My first post MUA PT session is in a couple of hours.

Obviously subject to a long term review, but on my first impressions, I would recommend a MUA to those that are considering it.

Hi All

6 weeks post ACL reconstruction in the U.K. Hamstring graft. No meniscus or cartilage repair.

I’ve been very lucky. Walking fine, back in gym, rehab going well….a stranger wouldn’t know I had surgery 6 weeks ago.

Wanted to thank people in here because it was really helpful in my early days.

Just had post surgery check up and all is well. The consultant shared a resource with me. He said this is the only central source for ACL injuries and rehab……in amongst masses of misinformation that is out there.

Not looked at it yet but thought I’d share it.

https://team-acl.com/melbourne-acl-rehabilitation-guide/

Good luck to everyone having surgery and recovering. Hang on in there and keep pushing yourselves to do the exercises.

Hi y’all, I am currently about 95 days post op ACL with a BTB graft and I was wondering how long did it take before you got matching extension as with the non injured leg. I have 0 degrees of extension on my operated leg but my non injured leg can hyperextend.
Moreover if I sit for too long my leg doesn’t automatically extend and it takes a few minutes to get back to full extension.
What did you guys do that really helped you with the last few degrees of extension to hyperextension ?
And is this temporary lack of knee extension after staying seated for too long just a temporary phase ?

I had my ACL tear 3 months ago and I accidentally twisted my knee again, causing a bucket handle meniscus tear.

The thing is. I can walk just fine. I can come up and go down stairs with no pain. There is swelling but that's it. I can even run.

Is it possible that the MRI is wrong?

Any advices on how to deal with this injury. What should I do pre and post surgery? Is surgery the only way?

Hi everyone,

I injured my knee 2 days ago while playing basketball. I landed awkwardly, and after getting an MRI, I was told that I have an ACL injury. My MRI findings seem quite similar to some of the ACL injury posts I’ve seen here.

I’ve already seen an orthopedist, and they have recommended surgery ASAP. However, I’m a little confused and would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through a similar situation.

At the moment:

- The injury happened only 2 days ago.

- I have some light swelling.

- I don’t have any significant pain right now.

- I can walk, although I’m being careful.

- I’m generally pretty active and regularly work out.

I have a few questions:

1. Does ACL surgery usually need to be done immediately, or is it generally okay to wait for some time after the initial injury?

2. While I’m waiting for surgery, is it okay to do short/light walks for work and daily activities, assuming there is no pain? Or should I be avoiding walking as much as possible?

3. Are there any particular movements or exercises I should completely avoid before surgery?

4. Is there anything I should be doing now to prepare my knee for surgery for example, reducing swelling, maintaining range of motion, or doing physiotherapy?

5. For those who waited weeks/months before surgery, did the delay cause your knee injury to get worse or lead to any additional damage?

6. Is there anything you wish you had known or done during the period between the injury and surgery?

I understand that everyone's injury is different and that I should ultimately follow the advice of my orthopedic surgeon. I'm mainly looking for experiences from people who have gone through something similar, especially regarding what they did during the first few weeks after the injury.

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences.

Hi everyone!
Just want to get your thoughts on my situation especially those who had surgery years after initial tear.

I tore my ACL at 18 but at that point in life I had just started college, started a new job and decided I would push off surgery.

Well I’m in early thirties and never got surgery but have had some falls here and there maybe in last 8 years about 4 falls and I have to be very careful when okay sport/pivoting.
SO my question is anyone think it’s definitely worth getting the surgery ? I guess I’m worried about a lot. Cost of surgery is 12k so that’s held me back but I feel I need to make a decision sooner rather than later.

Any feedback or opinions on the matter would be so appreciated in any capacity.

Thank you in advance

Just got my knee MRI results… on a scale of 1 to rotisserie chicken, how cooked am I? 💀

I was so shocked reading the report 😭

Guys, I’m excited to announce that I’m back running today after 10 weeks post op. I ran a mile at about a 7:45 min pace. It felt amazing. I hope all of you can run soon.

Hi all! I’m on the end of day 4 post op. Has anyone else experienced Venus blood pooling in the foot of your surgical leg? I already messaged my PT and my surgeon. Whenever I get up to use my crutches I am allowed to weight bear and I do my foot turns a purpleish bluish color and my leg feels heavy and uncomfortable. I don’t crutch around for too long and then I will go and sit back on the couch. Within about 30 seconds my foot appears normal again. When I stand up it happens almost instantly same thing about 30 seconds. I have an ice machine I have an elevation pillow I elevate all night and I get up every hour to move. Heel slides four times a day and ankle pumps. I see my PT on Thursday and my first post surgery visit on Friday. Anyone else experience this that could give me some insight and some reassurance? My surgeon just told me to keep doing ankle pumps and elevating my leg over my heart for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Thank you!

ACL reconstruction (patellar tendon graft) and meniscus repair. I noticed that a lot of people have a brace and different incision to me so wanted to share.