Diving after knee ACL surgery

[AevnsGrandpa]

A couple of weeks ago I had ACL surgery on my right knee and am feeling pretty good and doing physical therapy twice a week and working out at home.

My local scuba club has a dive coming up the end of this month and I am planning on going seeing how my knee will handle the weight of all the equipment.

Anyone else out there had this done and when did you start diving again??

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Spectre]

What type of surgery did you get? I had the cadaver graft in April. I was in the water a month later.

If you search around, you should find my thread that has a lot of good info it in.

edit: here it is:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t23366.html

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

Yes I got the dead person's graft.

Jeff

 

[subdude]

I had a bone tendon bone (patelar tendon, not cadaver) acl reconstruction in Aug of 87. Since then I have refereed soccer up to div I college , raced off road motorcycles, and dove a lot. Wear a brace if needed to keep from hyperextending your knee. Build your hamstring at least as much as your quad.

subdude

 

[chickdiver]

I had an allograft in April 2001. Started diving about 6 weeks post surgery. No further problems at all. I highly recommend the stairmaster, squats and leg extensions!

 

[firediver293]

Had knee surgery a couple years ago. Was in the water within two months. Best thing I could have done. Doc told me not to run. So I biked and swam. He told me swimming was the best therapy. I asked about diving. He said go for it.

Just take it easy with the gear on dryland as added weight/pressure will not be good for your tender knee. Have a buddy help you get the gear to the water and then once your neutral, you are good to go.

 

[H2Andy]

Just take it easy with the gear on dryland as added weight/pressure will not be good for your tender knee. Have a buddy help you get the gear to the water and then once your neutral, you are good to go.

yup, that's very good advice. i have bad knees (old soccer bang ups), nothing
in the league of what you guys are talking about, and boy are my knees
achy the day after.

you might consider getting one of those things with wheels that you put
stuff in (the proper name escapes me now, blasted vocabulary blank!)

 

[AevnsGrandpa]

Thanks everyone!

I read through another thread also and it sounds like if I continue to strengthen my leg muscles and be careful on any rotation on my knee I should be fine!

H2Andy - where are you in Jacksonville? My daughter lives down there and I try and get down and vist every so ofter and always make time to dive!

Jeff

 

[Spectre]

I read through another thread also and it sounds like if I continue to strengthen my leg muscles and be careful on any rotation on my knee I should be fine!

You'll want to be very careful climbing the ladder, as well as walking around in your rig. make sure your footing is solid with each step. I wore an ace bandage to give a little extra support [since the brace and a drysuit didn't quite mix well]. I found frog kicks to be quite comfortable, in that the resistance is in the opposite direction; much like riding a bike. Flutter kicks put pressure on the top of your foot with inversely pressures the front of your knee [e.g. using your ACL].

FWIW. I was back skiing 7 months after my surgery [as soon as I had my custom brace and got a chance to get on the slopes], back racing after about 8 1/2 months, and I'm running about 90-95% of where I was pre-injury. [well, that's slalom and my night league racing... the real faster events I had to give up after my first couple GS races since I need to build back my confidence].

 

[H2Andy]

H2Andy - where are you in Jacksonville? My daughter lives down there and I try and get down and vist every so ofter and always make time to dive!

i am in Riverside, about five minutes from Downtown, sort of close to
St. Vincent's hospital.

give me a call (382-9979) or email me at aro@arojas.com if you're ever in town
and want to try for a dive.