ACL reconstruction with menicus tear (rehab)

by Soccer Mom
(Orlando, FL)

My daughter is having surgery first week of June. 15 year old, atheletic soccer player. Plays travel soccer and high school. Complete tear of ACL with partial menicus. Soccer coach, knew surgeon, got us in next day.

Surgeons reputation, very good, has done a number of soccer players, with no reinjuries. The only negative is very conservative rehab. I was ok initially with slow rehab, but after reading, I am concerned, if my daughter is really motivated about rehab that not letting her progress as she needs to, may be depressing to her?

Surgeon does not plan to repair menicus, unless he gets in there and sees, that it is worse than on the MRI? ACL will be reconstructed using a patellar tendon graft. He said 6 weeks crutches, six months before running, and no sports for nine months. He said in his opinion the "rush" to get back to sports has led to kids reinjuring when not necessary, because they are not rehabbed 100%.
The complicated thing is my daughters coach, parents, and other have used this doctor and love him and their daughters are all recovered and are playing.

I'm not looking for someone to get her back on the field faster, I just don't want a "one size fits all" rehab program. She may need the nine months, but if she is progressing faster, I don't want her to get discouraged with rehab.

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ACL reconstruction with menicus tear (rehab)

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May 29, 2008
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Sorry for the delay...
by: Bart - SII

Somehow your post got missed and I just realized I hadn't answered it...I am so sorry for the delay.

Your concerns are definitely warranted. The rehabilitation process after an ACL reconstruction can be very frustrating and long...while 9 months out of your whole life is nothing, for a 15 year old it seems like everything.

I would agree with the physician regarding there being a "rush" to get back on the field, and that sometimes this does lead to re-injury. However, I would say that the timeline you were given is very conservative.

I return 80-90 percent of my ACL patients to sports in 6 months after surgery. But, I see a LOT of ACL patients every year, and our clinic has become very good at the follow through rehab and getting everything back in working order. Even with that, I would say that 80-90 percent of the patients that do go back at 6 months will tell you that they don't really feel confident and "back to normal" for another 2-3 months.

One thing you do have on your side to keep your daughter from getting too frustrated is that her fellow players and friends who have used this same surgeon and followed the same timeline are playing again. She knows that the 9 months is what it takes, so really just reiterate the fact that this is the best thing.

The one thing that makes this a lot easier is tons of encouragement throughout the process...and don't be afraid to let her take a week off from rehab if she gets burned out...I have found that can make a huge difference in morale as time goes by.

Hope this helps - comment back with other questions...and again, so sorry for the delayed response.

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May 29, 2008
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Submitted by: Bart - SII

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Somehow your post got missed and I just realized I hadn't answered it...I am so sorry for the delay. Your concerns are definitely warranted. The rehabilitation process after an ACL reconstruction can be very frustrating and long...while 9 months out of your whole life is nothing, for a 15 year old it seems like everything. I would agree with the physician regarding there being a "rush" to get back on the field, and that sometimes this does lead to re-injury. However, I would say that the timeline you were given is very conservative. I return 80-90 percent of my ACL patients to sports in 6 months after surgery. But, I see a LOT of ACL patients every year, and our clinic has become very good at the follow through rehab and getting everything back in working order. Even with that, I would say that 80-90 percent of the patients that do go back at 6 months will tell you that they don't really feel confident and "back to normal" for another 2-3 months. One thing you do have on your side to keep your daughter from getting too frustrated is that her fellow players and friends who have used this same surgeon and followed the same timeline are playing again. She knows that the 9 months is what it takes, so really just reiterate the fact that this is the best thing. The one thing that makes this a lot easier is tons of encouragement throughout the process...and don't be afraid to let her take a week off from rehab if she gets burned out...I have found that can make a huge difference in morale as time goes by. Hope this helps - comment back with other questions...and again, so sorry for the delayed response.

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