Any skiers rip there knee caps and quads? Recovery ???

[jefflyman]

3 weeks ago I ripped the quad tendons from both my knee caps spikeing the ball in a V-ball game, won the point! In surgery they sewed me back together the next morning. I have no problem standing walking in nonbendable knee braces. Doc say 2 to 3 more weeks then movable braces and therapy starts. I hired a sprts trainer for upper body stuff but really like to hear from someone that has gone through this and slalom skies. I can give up snowmobiling, snow skiing but I be dam I'm giving up chaseing bouys!

[6balls]

Bizarre bilateral injury.  You must have quads like a gorilla do develop that kind of force.

[jefflyman]

Actually just the opposite, wish I had gorilla quads. I believe over the past 10 years of hard snowmobile riding I tore some of the tendons to the patella weaking them. They've been bothering me and finally gave out at the same time jumping up and landing, ugly mess.Doc don't say much that's why I'm reaching out here. Still feel young at 50 I dont need this!

[dleenhouts]

I dislocated a kneecap along with a torn meniscus and MCL, also playing backyard volleyball, some 7 or 8 years back. Had arthroscopic surgery to put it back in place & clear out some floating chunks of bone & cartilage. PT lasted about 5 or 6 months & I kept it going on my own a month or 2 afterwards. Since then I haven't had any problems skiing, or wakeboarding, or heavy running (70 miles/week), but things like tennis or hockey or anything that requires lateral stopping or pivoting I think twice before doing. Being 19 at the time probably didn't hurt the healing process. Being diligent with the therapy is key, even if it's the very last thing in the world you want to do.

[Bill Gladding]

I ruptured my right quadriceps 03/07/2010 got repaired on the next day (turned 50 04/29/10).  I got ROM to bicyle within about six weeks and in October skied a tournament but probably shouldn't have because I got a little deep trying to get one more buoy and tweaked the repaired knee.  Currently faster on the bicycle and stronger in the weight room than pre-survgery but waiting to see how skipping across the wakes slaloming goes.  Be diligent with PT and don't hurry to get back on the ski.  Too much to soon just slows recovery and reduces the favorabiltiy of your outcome.  My injured leg is probably about 75% of my other now.  Ultimately it will be stronger than it was:)

[jefflyman]

Thanks for the info Bill, just what I was looking for. Did you ski some the summer of 2010? I see you did the tournament late in the season. Your exactly 1 year older than me, I was thinking about entering in a tournament in a few years but this will slow that thought. Hate to miss even some recreational free skiing this coming season.

Stupid question what is ROM? 

 

[MrJones]

Range Of Motion=ROM

[Bill Gladding]

I skied some during the summer but most of what I did was drills.  Hanging out on one side then the other and pulling out from the wakes each side.  No wake crossings for a good long time, then skied in front of the buoys so I could be smooth and not get pulled down trying to turn exactly at the ball.  Skiing was the hardest thing I did to my knee it usually made it sore which stopped me from doing other constructive things for it until it settled down a few days later.  Keep in mind I had one good leg which was my front one.

I began as soon as I could on treadmill walking, eliptical, biking and finally running.  Biking was the best it would actually shrink my swelling.  I can run but won't anymore until it at least gets in the mid to upper 60s on a regular basis.

I highly recommend road biking or spinning if you can.  Just make sure you are set-up on the equipment properly.  No impact, makes your legs stronger, good for your cardio and social if you can find group rides (usually good scenery in spin classes/vanillaforum/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-cool.gif).  I think it did more for my recovery than any other activity.

I don't plan on skiing until it warms up a good bit here in Jacksonville, Florida and hopefully it does not bother my repaired knee when I do.  I have been skiing the course since 1999 and managed to do pretty well at 2008 Nationals but don't see myself continuing if it causes any significant discomfort.  I will be finding out in a month or so...

Good luck with your recovery!

[jefflyman]

Gota find me some spin classes!

Said you ruptured your right quadricep. I assume that is what I did. My quad tendon became removed from the knee cap completly. In surgery they drilled 3 holes in my knee caps, pulled the quad and tendon back down with thread to the cap and tied it ( I hope tight ). Was your injury the same? I told the doc just before he put out to drill 4 holes and add additional thread I ski ! He laughed.

Volley ball hurt me more than skiing the course in the past so I can easly drop that sport. But you have inspired me to try hard to be in shape for this summer ( ours much shorted than yours) to atleast ski some. I'll probably end up being the designated boat driver more than anything.

I'll be in FL, Sanibel Island in mid April and was planning on skiing with a friend near the old Cypress Gardens, its out now. Cant wait for some sunshine though. Appreciate your thoughts here, hard to find others participating in our unique sport.

[Bill Gladding]

Ya, same injury as yours just one leg.  You be very careful.  I had a good leg to catch myself on if the repaired one needed help.  If mine had been bilateral I think I would have learned to tuck and roll.  Headed down to Ft. Lauderdale next week going to try and do some skiing at McGinnis while I am down there.  Let me know how your recovery goes.

[Bill Gladding]

Skiied two sets for two days straight at McGinnis.  Repaired knee only slightly sore but recovered almost completely two days later.  Forearms and traps still tender to the touch.  Hope the rest of the season goes as well although I doubt I would routinely do that many sets in as many days on a regular basis.  Work hard Jeff!

[jefflyman]

Encouragment Bill.... thanks. I have an appointment with the surgeon this coming Thursady and hopeing to get started with PT. He did tell me 2 weeks ago I can have my trainer do the PT along with my other work out. Swelling is way down I would guess about 20% of what it was. Knees feel really strong and supportive. Plan on working alot this week my business needs me. Walking seems to be the best therapy stretching the leg muscles that have been in limbo for the past 5 weeks.

I am truly sick of these braces and muscleing in and out of chairs a real pain in the as.... Sliding in and out of my wifes SUV back seat also a big pain. Oh well no othe choices. My wifes is deserving of a specail something for her efforts.

[Bill Gladding]

My wife and son were great too.  If you do a little research you will see that just about everyone who has gone through this was immensely grateful for the help they received from family members.  You don't realize just how inconvenient it is to run around straight legged (in my case just one).  My limiting factor to the vertical position the first few weeks was swelling.  When the brace and wrapping would get tight I'd have to sit for a while.