Riding/racing after a partial knee replacement

cyclingsheep

As stated in the topic heading, does anyone have any experience with riding or racing after a (partial) knee replacement? My operation will consist of replacing the medial part of the left knee joint and reconstructing the ACL. The thing is I'm only 42 and I'm not ready to hang up my boots so to speak. Any advice or experience is most welcome.

cat_with_no_tail

Yes, I had my ACL and LCL repaired 2 years ago, which consisted of taking a grafts from one leg to fix the other.

Get some good physio in you and there is no reason you can't be racing again within a year. I did my first MTB event 9 months after my op, and was back to the same level of fitness within a year. I'm now WAY fitter than I was before, which is nice

buckles

That's cheating!

In all seriousness though good luck. Good to hear it's possible to race after an operation like that!

buckles

Sorry to be nosy but what happened to your knee?

cyclingsheep

Buckles wrote:

Sorry to be nosy but what happened to your knee?

If you're asking me,then it's a case of not getting a small problem fixed 20 yrs ago (when I was young and invincible) and having cycling which has hidden the problem until now. I knew I couldn't run when tired without the knee giving way but knee held together because of leg strength from cycling. Pain developed and running became impossible so investigation revealed arthritis in medial part of left knee and no ACL at all. As the saying goes, "look after your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone".

buckles

Crikey.

I have constant pain in my right knee, after a sharp pain during a sprint up a hill left me in agony. Barely able to gently turn 39x23 for the last 6 months. Doesn't feel like it's going to get better any time soon. Strangely, resting seems to make it worse (been driving to work the last 4 weeks and it's been more painful than when I cycled) but don't want to ride again until I get MRI scan results + advice from a consultant.

cyclingsheep

Buckles wrote:

Crikey.

I have constant pain in my right knee, after a sharp pain during a sprint up a hill left me in agony. Barely able to gently turn 39x23 for the last 6 months. Doesn't feel like it's going to get better any time soon. Strangely, resting seems to make it worse (been driving to work the last 4 weeks and it's been more painful than when I cycled) but don't want to ride again until I get MRI scan results + advice from a consultant.

Good luck with the results and glad you're getting it seen to. As I said, if it wasn't for cycling I imagine I'd be in much worse shape but may have gotten it seen to earlier.

jaxf

I have no experience - yet.
I have just completely ruptured my ACL, and partially ruptured my MCL, and some bone stuff too. Surgery booked for reconstruction. My surgeon said that being a cyclist and skier was a really good thing, leg strength was what got me off the mountain.
He also said that as prehab and rehab, I must cycle - albeit VERY gently and on a stationary bike. And that I must maintain and build the quad, hamstring and calf strength pre and post operation.
Sadly, he also said that I am not going to get any good results in sportives this year, especially not the early part.
The only thing I'm any good at is climbing, and that is a worry, as I am not sure how much push I will be able to manage, and I just looked at my SPDs and got my husband to change the pedals on the turbo trainer! uncleating looks like it is not going to happen anytime soon. :'-(

cyclingsheep

jaxf wrote:

I have no experience - yet.
I have just completely ruptured my ACL, and partially ruptured my MCL, and some bone stuff too. Surgery booked for reconstruction. My surgeon said that being a cyclist and skier was a really good thing, leg strength was what got me off the mountain.
He also said that as prehab and rehab, I must cycle - albeit VERY gently and on a stationary bike. And that I must maintain and build the quad, hamstring and calf strength pre and post operation.
Sadly, he also said that I am not going to get any good results in sportives this year, especially not the early part.
The only thing I'm any good at is climbing, and that is a worry, as I am not sure how much push I will be able to manage, and I just looked at my SPDs and got my husband to change the pedals on the turbo trainer! uncleating looks like it is not going to happen anytime soon. :'-(

Wow, good luck jaxf. Luckily for me if I can handle the discomfort for now (and don't want to run) then there is no rush. I am able to ski currently despite the lack of ACL. Please keep me updated on your progress as I will have to go through it at some point and would love to know how you get on

Simon_Rhino

I had a complete knee rebuild (and repair of the other) after a high speed motorbike smash. I was told by the docs that I'd have to abandon any thoughts of doing any sports 'with the exception of gentle swimming or cycling' and even then would be likely to shorten the likely 20 year life of the replacement bits they used.

I was 19 at the time. 22 1/2 years later I've had 20 seasons of football, play rugby, run marathons, raced MTBs and enjoy road riding & TTs as fast as I can. Not only am I far from being a lithe racing snake but I've also broken toes, feet, ankles & legs in the process without knee acting like a fuse and falling apart.

I know everyone is different and every operation has its risks but my advice would be to do what you want to do and only worry about things going wrong once they have. Then get whatever it was fixed and start again!

I'm the same age as you (OP) but have had 20-odd years of 'bonus' use of my 'new knees' (although I now realise I've had them longer than the originals!) and would much rather have to put up with a dodgy knee when I'm a (really) old git than miss out on doing what I enjoy while the rest of me can manage it too

enjoy your riding

cyclingsheep

Simon_Rhino wrote:

I had a complete knee rebuild (and repair of the other) after a high speed motorbike smash. I was told by the docs that I'd have to abandon any thoughts of doing any sports 'with the exception of gentle swimming or cycling' and even then would be likely to shorten the likely 20 year life of the replacement bits they used.

I was 19 at the time. 22 1/2 years later I've had 20 seasons of football, play rugby, run marathons, raced MTBs and enjoy road riding & TTs as fast as I can. Not only am I far from being a lithe racing snake but I've also broken toes, feet, ankles & legs in the process without knee acting like a fuse and falling apart.

I know everyone is different and every operation has its risks but my advice would be to do what you want to do and only worry about things going wrong once they have. Then get whatever it was fixed and start again!

I'm the same age as you (OP) but have had 20-odd years of 'bonus' use of my 'new knees' (although I now realise I've had them longer than the originals!) and would much rather have to put up with a dodgy knee when I'm a (really) old git than miss out on doing what I enjoy while the rest of me can manage it too

enjoy your riding

Thanks for that Simon. If I'm honest the main reason I'm looking at getting the op done now is that I have two young girls (2 1/2 and 12wks) and would love to be able to run round with them now while they want to do it with me. Good to hear the fuse analogy too. Have you skied at all?

Simon_Rhino

skiing was something that never appealed to me so can't help there I'm afraid.

only way to find out is to give it a go...............

stannie

I had ACL Reconstruction and a partial (medial) left knee replacement 7 years ago at the age of 43 due to a ski-ing accident.
I can still cycle but I have to limit running and other weight bearing exercise but it is OK to do them occasionally. I tried playing tennis regularly but found it was too much for my knee so I only play occasionally now.
My knee is not as good as new, but it is miles better than it was when I had it done. I sometimes have bad days when the knee is swollen and a bit sore, but cycling doesn't seem to make it any worse.

I was never a racing snake so I can't really say whether you will be able to race, but it may not be an option - I struggle when standing on the pedals. It seems to put pressure on the knee. Having said that, the stronger your legs are before you have the op, the better the results will be.
General cycling will be absolutely fine - I am hoping to do LEJOG this year.

I haven't ski-ed again but I am sure it would be OK with a leg brace. I have been climbing, abseiling, off road motorcycling and mountain biking.

Good luck
Anne

cyclingsheep

singletrackanne wrote:

I had ACL Reconstruction and a partial (medial) left knee replacement 7 years ago at the age of 43 due to a ski-ing accident.
I can still cycle but I have to limit running and other weight bearing exercise but it is OK to do them occasionally. I tried playing tennis regularly but found it was too much for my knee so I only play occasionally now.
My knee is not as good as new, but it is miles better than it was when I had it done. I sometimes have bad days when the knee is swollen and a bit sore, but cycling doesn't seem to make it any worse.

I was never a racing snake so I can't really say whether you will be able to race, but it may not be an option - I struggle when standing on the pedals. It seems to put pressure on the knee. Having said that, the stronger your legs are before you have the op, the better the results will be.
General cycling will be absolutely fine - I am hoping to do LEJOG this year.

I haven't ski-ed again but I am sure it would be OK with a leg brace. I have been climbing, abseiling, off road motorcycling and mountain biking.

Good luck
Anne

Thanks Anne, sounds like exactly what they're discussing for me. This is all good to know. How bad was it before the op? You say running is ok occasionally, what happens if you do it too much? It really is a dilemma, leave it like it is or go into the unknown....
Good luck with LEJOG

jaxf

I will certainly keep you updated, am up to a couple of hours a day on the (static) bike now. The only issue seems to be the bone rubbing on the tendon as things aren't in quite the right places.
I spoke with a friend who also had a skiing accident resulting in ruptured ACL and MCL, she did not have a complete rupture, so it hurt her. My ACL was total, so no pain.
She opted for no surgery, she is not exactly an athlete, so felt that impaired performance wasn't an important factor. I love my sports (thanks Anne, I was worried about climbing so relieved when you said you can do it). I can't imagine not ski mountaineering. I am opting for surgery.
She is wondering if she should have bitten the bullet - 3 years on, she is still very hesitant as she doesn't trust her knee, and she experiences repeated small incidents with it.

bad_moose

My dad snapped his ACL skiing last year, he's around the same age as you. He went to the gym every day and just beefed the rest of his knee up enough for him to be able to keep cycling right up until the day of the operation to repair it. He's pretty much recovered now, his leg is stronger than it's ever been before because of all the work he's put into it. The physio was amazed at how quickly he managed to recover, apparently he was doing as well as you'd expect a professional athlete to be doing after snapping their ACL.

The only real issue that he experienced with his knee was his hamstring being extremely tight after the op. They take out a strand or two to stitch the ACL back together. He had to drop the bike seat a lot and found that the hamstring felt sore and tired after a pretty short amount of time in the saddle, but he got over that reasonably fast. So as long as you're dedicated and commit yourself to lots of time in the gym, it's perfectly possible to get back in the saddle and be as good as you were before (or maybe even better)

jaxf

I had surgery on Wednesday 5th Feb, got back on the bike on a turbo trainer this week. Not going to say I was fast - don't think I've ever gone slower, the first few pedal strokes, I think I'm going to throw, but it gets better quickly.
I had surgery where instead of a reconstruction, it was a repair with a plastic graft, so I don't have the issue with the hamstring. I have greater then 90 degrees flexion, and have had for a few days - I don't like the exercises, but best to push on.
I had the ACL repaired, along with the LCL, a bit of cartilage (meniscus) and a bit of kneecap - only 1cm2 - sorted out. The bone bruising has gone. The swelling is pretty low.
My surgeon says I can do a sportive at the end of April, but not the 100 mile route. He says not to expect a good time ;-).
I am doing the Bealoch Mor in August, and the Alps as much of the summer as I can manage.

I really think I can too ........

AliG

Hi all,

So I've built up a fair amount of experience of knees, cycling and skiing over the last few years. Skiing accident 3 years ago when my knee came apart, snapping acl and mcl and tearing the lateral meniscus. Knee rehab got me out on a bike a lot, and I got a bit hooked on it. I got super strong in the quads and hammys, and a strong core too to help keep me in balance and back to skiing I went. I live out in France in the Alps so had plenty of hills to ride up as rehab, and I teach skiing in the winter, so I really need my knee to work well. I had surgery 18 months after the injury, and 18 months further on have just snapped the reconstructed acl again (don't play badminton when you are tired!) However in the time between I've managed a lot of skiing, and ski racing so the knee was and is strong. My muscles have stabilised it well since it went again a couple weeks ago and I'm on the turbo trainer again keeping it together.

Cycling helped massively and has been crucial to my rehab. I'm much fitter and faster on a bike now than I was before, not that that was hard! However as long as your bike fits you properly and you make sure you mix it up a bit with other activities, cycling is massively beneficial and theres no reason that you shouldn't be able to race bikes long into the future!

the rehab is long, hard and frustrating at times but it is so worth it, stick in there and put in the hours and you'll get back to being fit and string again.

jaxf

2 1/2 weeks from surgery, all is great. I had my ACL, LCL, meniscus and kneecap sorted out. MCL was left to sort itself out. I am up to 1 hour a day on the turbo trainer at low resistance. I can't wait to be allowed to do longer at higher resistance, I feel I can, but understand that I musn't break the graft. My knee doesn't feel normal yet, and I am tiring a lot more than usual - a few weeks out of training and all my lovely muscles are going. I will get those back and arm muscles back pdq when I can concentrate on them. I am sure I will ski and cycle really well after this, as soon as I get strong again.

jaxf

Nearly 5 weeks from surgery now, and turbo trainer / sufferfest every day. Up to 1hour 40 max now, 45 mins minimum. Can't sustain the 170bpm for all the time though ;-) Advice has been to have a lower cadence and higher resistance, and not to spin or freewheel - suits me fine, as the only thing I have ever been good at is climbing. Trying a wattbike this week to see how the poweris going; tried one a few weeks back to see pedal stroke - it's fine 50/50 and sausage shape on both legs. So, looking just fine for riding. I don't race, just sportives, first one I can do is end of April, have cut back to a shorter distance, and I feel pretty confident, but surgeon says I mustn't try for a good time. Not allowed to use clipless, in case I twist out, and ruin all the surgeon's work.

stumpkumper

Hi. Cylclingsheep. Would love to chat with you about your partial. I am 44 yrs old and facing the same thing. Your insight will help shed light on my uncertainty. Can you send me a private message? Thanks... Darren. darrenkupinsky@hotmail.com