A recent article on the activity of men who have had a torn ACL repaired made me step back and think about my own experience. Which happened about 8-years ago now. My how time flies…
How To Tear An ACL
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the tendons under the kneecap that connects the tibia and fibia. There are numerous ways to tear an acl. Most of them involve rapidly placing stress on the knee in the form of pivoting, so athletes that participate in sports such as basketball, skiing, tennis, and soccer all have the potential for incurring an ACL tear.
Being the weekend warrior that I was, most of my physical activity at that point in my life was concentrated on – well, the weekends. My lunch break was usually a big meal with the guys, so the weekends were really all that was left for exercising. So, when I got a call asking if I wanted to go play basketball, I was in.
There are two things I remember most about that afternoon.
The first was coming around a pick, catching a pass, and turning to cut to the basket (i.e. pivot). My right foot was on the outside, and when I made the cut to the basket, it stayed put. I folded about the time I felt the distinctive “Pop,” and proceeded to roll around on the ground in complete agony for about 5-minutes. It happened fast, and there was no warning.
The second thing I remember is one of the guys standing over me solicitously and asking, in all seriousness, if I was O.K. My response went something like “No, I’m not *&%$ O.K.!”
Seriously.
Eventually, I hobbled over to the bleachers and sat down. Even though it hurt mightily, I came to the conclusion that I was going to live. So, I limped out to the car and headed home, where I stretched out on the sofa with my foot elevated, trying to convince myself that I hadn’t actually torn an ACL.
Many people who tear an ACL report excessive bruising and swelling of the knee. I had none of those signs. While my knee hurt – a lot, I didn’t bruise or swell at all. But, I knew it was a serious injury.
You can read more about ACL repairs.
Greg, when I was in middle school, I dislocated my right knee playing volleyball. Tore up my meniscus and nicked my ACL. Then a year later while ice skating on one of my first dates, I did the same thing. Finally, after a 3rd dislocation on the baseball diamond, I gave up all sports and became a fatass! Just kidding, after the third time, I had arthroscopic surgery to strengthen the patellar tendons and fix my meniscus–I’ve never had a problem since then, but 20 years later I still think about my knee.
@Mac – LOL!! I’m right there with you. Weekend warrior stuff is for the birds — ends up being a recipe for injury for me… One thing’s for sure. I’m always aware of it.
If it’s all the same to you guys I’m going to resist tearing mine.