Meg's Rough Ride

by Beth
(Edmonton Alberta)

My daughter recently underwent ACL replacement with meniscus repair. The first few days were fairly painful, but with lots of ice and ibuprofen, she was on the mend pretty quick.
It is now 2 weeks post surgery, and she has no knee pain at all, very little swelling, but her shin is "numb" and her ankle is extremely (9/10) painful whenever she is up and about for more than 5 minutes.
Her surgeon was not overly concerned, he suggested that it was due to lack of activity. She is now terrified of getting up and about as the pain is so extreme. Her next Dr appt is in 3 weeks. I don't know how long I should let this go on.
Any suggestions or advice? Or some assurances that this is somewhat normal?

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Meg's Rough Ride

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Nov 06, 2009
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ankle pain
by: Bart - SII

Is she in any kind of rehabilitation at this point? If she is working with a therpaist, they may be able to determine why she is having so much ankle pain. In my experiences, ankle pain after an ACL reconstruction is usually due to swelling that has moved into the lower leg and is causing increased pressure in the area. The other causes I have seen are abnormal walking (limping) that causes undue stress on the ankle.

If she is going through therapy, I would address your concerns with her therapist and get their opinion on her status, and see if they can provide some interventions. If she is not going through therapy, I would recommend talking to your doctor about starting some rehabilitation, as this is vital for a full recovery after ACL reconstruction.

Numbness is not uncommon after an ACL reconstruction. There is usually a small area on the outside of the knee that is numb, especially after an ACLR with a patellar tendon graft. Numbness in the shin can be from swelling, or from the trauma of the procedure and usually subsides in a few weeks after surgery. It is something to monitor and keep an eye on, but isn't usually of major concern in the first couple of months.

Bart

Nov 06, 2009
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re: Meg's rough ride
by: Beth

Thanks Bart,
She starts PT on Monday, I spoke with her therapist today, it was suggested that it could be blood pooling in the ankle, although there is little swelling.
It could also be lack of use as she was non-weight bearing for the first 10 days.
We're going to ice/heat the ankle and take it a little easy this weekend until a better assessment can be perfomed.