Returning to rugby after a knee reconstruction

[Maccaweeny]

Hey, I figured this being a rugby forum there would be quite a few blokes who've had acl, medial etc. breaks and I was just wanting to know how returning to rugby has gone for you, or if you know of any training tips etc.

When I was 17 I snapped my ac ligament and i've been a fat **** ever since. Well I figured it's time to stop eating pies, so i'm at the gym and looking to start playing again, but one of my mates did the same thing and did his in again. So can anyone give me advice on what to do? Any kind of training that helped you? I'm wondering if I should just jump in the deep end or continue to be a pussy cat. Any help would be awesome.

 

[Dumbo]

What ever it takes to get back involved mate... just get in there.

 

[getofmeland]

Be very careful what you do, do...

If possible ask advice from the Doctors before you do start playing, I have been suffering with weak knees since the age of 14, but I have continued to play up until this season where it has got so bad I am unable to play enough games to justify it and the risk.. but I often consult a sports doctor "my GP" over the concerns I have, they will be able to assess the potential damage you could be putting to your knees...

 

[SpaceBastard]

I had an ACL reconstruction 2 years ago, i returned to rugby 9 months after the operation
-Dont ruch things, start slowly
-Be very careful with kicking. I still get a sore knee from kicking. Also my knee doesent bend or stretch completly.
-Do something to get the muscles on the operated leg mach the other one, i measured the tighs few months after the operation and the operated leg was 5cm smaller.

You could think that rugby is really hard for your knees, i got to say that soccer and snowboarding are even harder. Ive had bad knees my whole life.
If your surgery was really good the knee might become as good as it was, dont think something is "wrong" if it doesent become that good, my knee at least is worse that before the surgery.
When you cant run, its the perfect time to lift some weights, i went to gym a lot when i couldnt run and gained 8kg muscles

If you got some questions, im more that happy to answer them

-SB

 

[Maccaweeny]

Thanks guys, I think i'll have to just bite the bullet and see a physio and start getting a specific leg routine.

Just wondering, Space ******* , how were you going back into contact situations, i'm fine skiing but i really lose all confidence when i'm in studs.

 

[SpaceBastard]

Thanks guys, I think i'll have to just bite the bullet and see a physio and start getting a specific leg routine.

Just wondering, Space ******* , how were you going back into contact situations, i'm fine skiing but i really lose all confidence when i'm in studs.
[/b]

Sorry for taking so long to anwser, well ofcourse at first i didnt go to them at all. When my doctor told me that its now good, except the muscles, i started doing full contatct without pretty much thinking about it 8) and i didnt have any pain in the contacts

-SB

 

[TVH11]

Well i used to be 16 and a half stone and played in the front row. I've dislocated my knee twice in the past 2 years and have lost 4 and a hlf stone since the last dislocation. This time i'm really taking my time to get my knee back to full strength and not relying on a knee support to keep it locked in place (not going back until i'm confident to play without a support). Only problem i have now is where i'm going to play. I've been pretty quick on my feet anyway, but now i'm 12 stone and am a lot quicker than before? any ideas?

And a word of advise, don't try and lose to much weight too quick, i was pretty much starving myself through my recent dislocation, and i felt the concequences and still am now- less resistant to cold's and flu's etc and i seem to be bruising very bloody easy!!

Good luck with getting back

 

[melon]

I did my ACL towards the end of the season a few years back, so I didn't start contact and running til rep rugby training started about 4 months later and I was fine.

 

[SpaceBastard]

i cant belive this...i prolly snapped my acl from my left knee. Before i was talking about right knee, i had that surgery 1,5 years ago. And now the other knee. I just twisted it sidestepping, no contact in the situtation. omfg. Im so frustrated, i was having a nice season. Well better luck for me next year. Age 21 and 2 acls broken, thank you life...

-SB

 

[sobered]

Now that's just plain bad luck...did my acl in too last year..Doctor says my acl is torn but i'm still playing with it. The worry of the knee just tearing apart lingers at the back of my mind tho...=(

 

[ospreys1987]

I tore my Medial and ACL towards the beginning of last season, and im still unable to do contact (under instruction from the Vale of Glamorgan sports physio). I've been lifting basically what I was prior to the injury and I've bulked up an extra 2 stone in upper body strength but my cardio has suffered slightly

 

[Henry Penry]

What ever it takes to get back involved mate... just get in there.
[/b]

get back,train hard and just strap it!
best of wishes

 

[goranski]

i blew out my knee in january and went to physical therapy for about 2 months to get it back to strength, there was something weird wrong with the cartilage in my left knee and it turned out my left thigh was significantly smaller than the right

anyway after doing alot of light weights and rehab in the pool concentrating on the quad region i've been back in the gym doing as much as i can, can't do leg extensions anymore though i have no problem doing the leg press yet can't go the full extension only 3/4 at the most on the press, i've been focusing on doing hamstrings also have no problem doing deadlifts (straight leg and regular) plus can do half-squats - throughout i've also tried doing stuff with a single leg to get both sides on equal footing

i've recently returned to rugby training during the summer playing touch and rugby league in training with my local club and my knee has held up pretty well even in the tackle and hit up situations have yet to see how things will go in the scrums...i try not to worry about it although i do wear a knee brace

good luck with your return to rugby - just do your best

 

[melon]

Now that's just plain bad luck...did my acl in too last year..Doctor says my acl is torn but i'm still playing with it. The worry of the knee just tearing apart lingers at the back of my mind tho...=( [/b]

Haha either you're making that up, or your doctor doesn't have the proper credentials and is actually 12 years too young to get them.

 

[ospreys1987]

Now that's just plain bad luck...did my acl in too last year..Doctor says my acl is torn but i'm still playing with it. The worry of the knee just tearing apart lingers at the back of my mind tho...=( [/b]

Anyone else smell that? Smells a lot like bullshit.... No offence mate but if you have torn your ACL you would not be able to continue playing rugby

 

[melon]

Yeah, I said the same if you had noticed in the post before. He does seem to be spinning some bullshit, but oh well.

I can remember doing mine! The idiot asian nurse tried to bend it as far as possible before the doctor came!

 

[ospreys1987]

Oh yeah sorry mate, didnt get as far down as your post :unsure: lol. He's either lying to make friends or he is really quite retarded and has confused a torn ACL with a grazed knee

 

[melon]

Oh I wasn't having a go at you! Sorry if i came across the wrong way!

Yeah he probably grazed his knee and had to get it looked at. Hopefully he reads these posts and then rages hahaha.

 

[SpaceBastard]

My doctor told me that tecnically i could be able to play the rest of the season with a 1500â'¬ knee supporting thing(dunno whats the right word for it). But it would be a risk, and the insure company wouldnt pay anything if i would get some more damage into the knee. So he might be playing without the ACL, but its REALLY stupid, i wouldnt do it. You cant even build muscles to reduce the sidemovements of knee. Many professional snowboarders dont go to a surgery in the middle of the season, they just use support and hope nothing goes wrong.
I hope he was lying 8)

-SB