My ACL Injury and How You Can Prevent One Yourself

In the middle of May, I was monkeying around with hip throws at the end of my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class, when I collapsed mid-throw, and felt an awful tearing sensation, like ripping open velco.  

Yes it hurt, but not bad enough for a visit to the ER..  Instead, I drove myself home, and upon exiting the car, my knee gave way painfully, so I knew this injury had to be a bad one.

My Dr. checked me out and said, "What we don't want it to be is your ACL."  I was convinced it was my meniscus, which I believed I had hurt in the past. 

The MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) revealed a different story; that I had a complete tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, which would require surgery if I wanted to continue my athletic lifestyle, and a long, grueling rehabilitation program for 6-8 months, which also meant no more Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I cried like a baby, believing that I ruined myself; I wouldn't be able to compete or train, and would gain 500 lbs., while all my classmates surpassed me by the time I finally got well enough to train again.

My blubbering may have made my Doc uncomfortable, "Wow. People cry less when I tell them they have cancer."  Luckily, he referred me to a superstar orthopedic surgeon that doubles as the physician for the U.S. Men's Soccer team.  

ACL injuries are very common in sports that utilize any kind of pivoting or lateral motion, and that's why you see so many in basketball, soccer, volleyball, skiing, and martial arts.

The ACL is a band of tissue that prevents the tibia from moving past the femur, which is why the knee "gives way" when torn.  Some people decide to not seek surgery, and instead attend rehab, and perhaps wear a custom ACL brace.  

Two popular types of ACL reconstruction are the Autograft Patellar Tendon, where a 10-11mm center portion of the patellar tendon is removed with bone blocks on either side, and the Allograft Patellar Tendon, which is the utilization of cadaver donor tissue.

I began prehab (pre-surgical rehabilitation exercise) with a physical therapist before my surgery in August.  Studies show that prehab improves healing and flexibility post-op, and prevents weakness and muscle atrophy pre-op.  

The exercises that I'm doing now, such as hamstring, quad, hip and core strengthening, are also recommended to prevent injuries like mine.  "Don't you be like me!"  I've enclosed diagrams of routines that my physical therapist has me do on my own at least 3 times a week.  You can try these out in the privacy of your own home, and the only thing you'll need is a resistance band, and a stool or step.  When I get new handouts, I will update this page and post them.   

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Picture Credits: MRI -Landmark Imaging; Knee Anatomy-Dr. Bert Mandelbaum and Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group; Routine For Pamela Keller-Westside Health Center Physical Therapy