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[TangoWhiskey]

I injured my Posterior Cruciate Ligament in June and have just got back from the specialist. He's given me two options - physio or a reconstruction.

The physio will take 6-8 weeks, there is no guarantee it will work completely and I may still require surgery which has a 6 month recovery time, so this total recovery period will be up to 8-9 months potentially by the time I have done the physio and arranged the operation etc. The tear is pretty severe. I'm wondering if anyone else has either had the injury before or has any knowledge about it. Will a PCL tear heal itself? I'm partly concerned about a potential 9 month layoff all but writing off next season, but mainly I'm concerned that physio will mask the problem of a torn PCL even if I can get back to playing sports in the meantime, but may leave me susceptible to other injuries as my body compensates for the problem.

The surgical option is obviously a worry, 6 months out guaranteed. Recovery rates are good but obviously the last option to be to go under the knife. should however give me a decent chance of playing the majority of next season.

In the meantime, I have 4 weeks of physio to see how it goes and then a revisit to the specialist to further discuss surgery if the physio is not helping.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Buzz]

If you have private health insurance and can get a brilliant surgeon that isn't the worst option... my surgeon is a genius. Having said that I had Achilles work not PCL.

My suggestion is that the internet may not be the best place to look for sensible opinions. You may be better off speaking to your physio!

[smilley792]

i ruined my knee last year, was told surgery was avaialbe but an extreme option as physio would help.

not even 9 months later, and me knee has gone again, and im being told surgery may be the better option this time. as i have good health care, i just wish id gone with it in the first place.

[horseman]

Take the op. I had an acl tear and you need the confidence in the knee to be strong. 

[Seniorplayer]

Don't know if this helps but when i injured my knee in 2013 this is what i read:
The severity of PCL injuries can be more difficult to assess than other knee injuries and are graded 1to 3 1 is mildly damaged and 3 is a complete tear.
With regard to PCL healing itself I remember reading that it has the POTENTIAL to do so.

[DiscoStu]

I tore my ACL when I was a teenager and went for the physio option. 15 years of persistently re-injuring it lead me to go under the knife last winter. I missed most of this season but have managed to play the last month or so although still not fully recovered but still managed one decent knock. It is different for every person but in my case I am so pleased I went under the knife. I know that if I finish the physio this autumn I can hit preseason hard and be a valuable member of my team both with bat and ball next season.

I am only a village-level player so the cricketing aspect was only one of the things I needed to consider. The injury was affecting other parts of my life and it was this in the end that convinced me to get it sorted. The surgeon says it should be fine for a few decades as long as I take normal precautions such as warming up properly and wearing good footwear.

[CrickFreak]

Sorry to hear that buddy. I tore my ACL beginning of 2011 season. Was devasted and had nothing to do whole summer except going to the games and watch my team play.

But here are few suggestions -
1. Get the surgery done as soon as possible. Do it once the swelling is gone and you feel you can do normal activities like walking etc. The reason I am saying is because I delayed mine for 6 months and to compensate for ACL deficiency, my body started to over use other muscles like calf, ankle etc and your body never forgets that even after reconstruction and rehab.
2. Once you go under the knife, its all about rebuilding your injured leg - lots of protien intake. You will lose lots of Quad muscles due to atrophy and they need to grow back.
3. Dedicated rehab, no short cuts exist, trust me. Do as prescribed, push it if you can, like put in an extra set. But does not mean start sports till doctor recommends.
4. Dont do any exercise where your limbs are hanging like leg extensions. Leg presses, squats etc are the best way to start.
5. There is plenty of information available online. The rehab here in US was expensive and insurance doesnt cover it beyond 3 mths. I read a lot on how others recovered, stayed away from any sport, and worked out as hard as I could.

I feel absolutely normal now, no pain at all.... And glad I got the reconstruction done. Knee is a complex structure, any weakness can cause other soft tissues to deteriorate or fail causing more trouble.
With regular rehab, you should be ready for sports in 6 months after surgery and will still have 1-2 months to get used to it before season starts.


Goodluck!

[TangoWhiskey]

Cool, cheers guys. You've all really helped. I'm lucky enough to have health cover so I'm covered for just about anything (including a cricket ball to the gonads but that's for another thread!). I was concerned about the surgical option but your experiences have helped, will certainly consider it.