Did i tear my ACL (Grade 3 sprain)

Blink41 · 05-08-2009, 12:11 AM

Hello guys

Recently, when i was playing basketball, i landed very awkwardly when i attempted to go for a high block on someone. It was a pump fake, but when i landed down, i heard a loud "pop" sound on my right knee. It immediately swelled up, and i couldn't put any pressure on it but i was still able to move my leg a lil (about 10 degrees).

My question is "Did i suffer a complete tear of ACL". I am trying to avoid the doctor, cuz its really expensive. Last year, the same thing happened, on the same knee too, was only a partial tear though ...

Does a "pop" automatically mean a full tear? I was able to walk 1 week after, and now, 1 month after, i have near full range of motion and for the most part, the knee is pain free.

Thanks

850fballer · 05-08-2009, 01:27 AM

when a acl gets a tear in it, it begins to unravell like a rope. your probally just finished it off. i got a partial in 06, kept playing and blew the whole thing out in 08 by just planting. you wont know until you go to the doc tho.

Quarter Nelson · 05-08-2009, 01:51 AM

No one here is in any place to make a diagnosis.

An ACL tear is a pretty serious thing, and you need to see a physician about this.

wizard_of_aus · 05-08-2009, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blink41

Hello guys

Recently, when i was playing basketball, i landed very awkwardly when i attempted to go for a high block on someone. It was a pump fake, but when i landed down, i heard a loud "pop" sound on my right knee. It immediately swelled up, and i couldn't put any pressure on it but i was still able to move my leg a lil (about 10 degrees).

My question is "Did i suffer a complete tear of ACL". I am trying to avoid the doctor, cuz its really expensive. Last year, the same thing happened, on the same knee too, was only a partial tear though ...

Does a "pop" automatically mean a full tear? I was able to walk 1 week after, and now, 1 month after, i have near full range of motion and for the most part, the knee is pain free.

Thanks

A complete ACL tear is a pretty serious injury. For one, there's no way you'd be walking only 1 month after a full ACL tear. Also, complete ACL tears almost always require surgery to get the knee stable again.

Chances are, if it's back to close to 100% after a month, you're probably gonna be ok. As they say...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Lucius13 · 05-08-2009, 07:19 AM

like wizard of aus said,u wouldn't be able to walk so fast if it was a total ACL tear. i had 100% ACL tear in 06 from soccer; heard two popping sounds when it happened. couldn't walk until the doctor performed an anthroscopy to check how bad was the damage and fix as much as they could. managed to walk aft that.

urs could be a partial tear or a broken meniscus(one of the possible diagnosis aft my accident). just rest ur leg for now. if it doesn't affect ur daily life(including sports),u shud be fine but if u feel any instability,better check out the doctor, especially if u're active in sports.

donviper23 · 05-08-2009, 07:58 AM

my advice: go to the doctor to get a referral to see an orthopedic surgeon, and get an MRI through them. A famly doctor doesn't specialize in this, so if you want to play sports 100% again I would do this. I ruptured my ACL and was misdiagnosed by a doctor who said it was sprained. I lost a month between this and my surgery, time which I could have been recovering. Your ACL won't repair itself, so the best you can do without surgery is strengthen the surrounding muscles.

slugger614 · 05-08-2009, 08:07 AM

Depending on the condition of your muscules and other ligaments, you may not have the typical symptoms of an ACL tear. I completely tore mine playing hoops but the doctors thought it was just cartilige because my knee was so stable (other ligaments were stable). The pop you heard might have been cartilige and the fact that you have limited motion tells me your knee is "locked". So... i'd say you've got a definite cartilige tear and probably ACL tear. Either way... you should definitely see a doctor.

heatlill · 05-08-2009, 08:24 AM

I fully tore my ACL about 11 years ago skiing. Fell in some "hero snow" (slushy heavy snow) my body went one way ski went the other, knee twisted and went pop. It swelled up and was sore for a few days. I got a fancy ice bucket connected to a form-fitted knee bladder from the Doc and iced it for a few days. (I waited a few months so that I didn't leave work in a lurch, and had surgery 2-3 months after the injury.) I did PT for the months prior to surgery and then went under the knife. Patellae tendon replacement. All good now, still aches occasionally but I was running in like 6 months post op and I skied the following winter (9 months post op).

Go to the doctor. Get checked out. Don't wait. Get it done. When in comes to pt and recovery the younger you are the better.
Even if you don't get surgery you will atleast know what happened and be able to adjust your activity accordingly (brace, avoid certain activities, etc).

Budly69 · 05-08-2009, 08:50 AM

Ive had ALOT of knee work done over the years. If you can afford it go to a doc, thats always the best bet but you have to remember to not let them convince you something is wrong when it isnt. I had a surgeon tell my cousin that there is "no such thing as a partial ACL tear, it either tears all the way or not at all". It was bull**** I found out later and probably just a tactic to get him to go under the knife. From my personal knowledge-if there is a partial tear in your ACL, MCL, PCL, patellar tendon or meniscus they will heal on there own if you take it REALLY easy for over a month. Ive had partial tears in all of them an they healed just fined with no medical assitance required. As stated earlier, if you can walk OK its probly just a sprain.

SumDumGoi · 05-08-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizard_of_aus

A complete ACL tear is a pretty serious injury. For one, there's no way you'd be walking only 1 month after a full ACL tear. Also, complete ACL tears almost always require surgery to get the knee stable again.

Chances are, if it's back to close to 100% after a month, you're probably gonna be ok. As they say...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I currently have a torn ACL which I haven't got fixed yet. I was playing softball and twisted my knee pretty bad. My symptoms are exactly the same as those mentioned by the OP. However, I was in denial about it and refused to go see a doctor for a few months.

Immediately after it happened my knee swelled up but I was still walking after I did it. The next morning after I woke up it felt like someone shot me in my leg after I took my first couple of steps but I still walked on it for the next couple of months. Eventually the swelling subsided and my knee was somewhat functional again. The point is that you can definitely walk on it after you tear it and just because the pain goes away after a few weeks does not mean that it isn't torn. The OP needs to go to the doctor and get it checked out so he can avoid being the dumbass that I was. I currently have a pain free knee, however if I were to try and play sports I will go down like a sack of potatoes.

If I wasn't so dumb part of my recovery time after surgery would have been over the same period of time I was limping around anyway.

850fballer · 05-08-2009, 11:23 AM

an acl will not heal on its on. if you have a partial tear and you live a very active lifestyle you need to go ahead and get it fixed. its possible to play with a complete acl tear. if you have good mucsle structure around the knee you just have to brace up and be prepared for the pain.

titdoctor · 05-08-2009, 11:30 AM

Go to the doctor. I never tore my ACL, but i dislocated my knee cap 3 times. It sounds alot like what happened to me.

Blink41 · 05-08-2009, 11:25 PM

Thanks a lot for the advice guys

I have university insurance, 750 a year. I'm not sure if they cover MRI and stuff, but i'll find out

I went to the gym yesterday to test my leg for the first time. Was able to squat (Not ATG, but legs bent 90 degrees) with light weight with no pain. Hopefully, that's a good sign. But yeah, i won't be a dumbass about it and will try to see the doctor. Til then, i hope i won't give in to peer pressure from my team and start playing serious ball again.

Goliath101 · 05-10-2009, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blink41

Thanks a lot for the advice guys

I have university insurance, 750 a year. I'm not sure if they cover MRI and stuff, but i'll find out

I went to the gym yesterday to test my leg for the first time. Was able to squat (Not ATG, but legs bent 90 degrees) with light weight with no pain. Hopefully, that's a good sign. But yeah, i won't be a dumbass about it and will try to see the doctor. Til then, i hope i won't give in to peer pressure from my team and start playing serious ball again.

if some a lot of the swelling has gone down, you should also try and see a sports physio. that can do certain test to test the integrity of the ligaments and cartilage. They can help you gauge how bad the injury is. You would the want to have the MRI done as well (however they arent 100% correct, but can help determine the extent of the injury). If the MRI showed a tear, you would then be referred to a specialist. well thats how we did it with mine.

When i did my ACL, i couldnt move my knee at all and there was instant swelling. massaging/getting the pooled blood out of my leg after the reco was one of the worst experiences of my life haha.