After a knee surgery, such as meniscus, ACL, or joint replacement, the number one initial priority is regaining knee extension range of motion. That is, the ability to straighten the knee. A common way to do this is lay on a table with the leg hanging off. The prone leg hang: This is not a […]
March 16, 2018
This turned into a behemoth of a post. I started writing this on the plane ride home and well, the cute girl next to me could only distract me so much. Next thing I know I had 15 pages. (Remember in college how you had trouble writing 10 pages, double spaced? Weird.) There is a […]
March 12, 2018
It’s disconcerting how many ACL patients struggle to make it back to their previous activity level. Suffice to say, the majority don’t. Discussed more thoroughly in- Is ACL surgery beneficial? Is ACL surgery worth it? The biggest mistakes ACL patients make Understanding differences in return to play in different sports, after an ACL tear Note […]
December 4, 2017
Comments Off on The most important muscle after ACL surgery
The quadriceps (while technically four muscles, for this post we’ll view them as one) get the most attention after reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament surgery. And the quads do need work. Within hours after waking up from anesthesia, you can see their activation diminish. However, this can be quickly remedied. Just a few minutes later: If […]
October 16, 2017
I received the below email from some knee recovery researchers who came across The biggest mistakes ACL patients make. The comments of that post has become a bit of a safe place for people to detail their ACL experience. Many read the post and previous comments and have a “Oh my god, yes! I’m not […]
September 27, 2017
The weird feelings you may experience I’m going to describe sensations I, and people I’ve worked with, have had. I’m going to use my personal experience more though. I feel that will better resonate. We’ll go through it as a timeline. From immediately post-op, to five plus years later. – Feeling the new ACL graft […]
July 19, 2017
Comments Off on Should you ice your knee after reconstructive ACL surgery?
Six years ago I wrote Should you ice an injury? Icing doesn’t do anything for the thing it’s most purported to help, swelling Icing can decrease pain That wasn’t new. Twelve years ago in, –Cryotherapy after ACL reconstruction: a meta-analysis The same results were found. No benefit for swelling, no benefit for range of motion, but can […]
June 9, 2017
One of the topics this site is most known for is reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery and rehab. The most popular writing being, –The biggest mistakes ACL patients make A common question I’ve received is “How is your knee doing?” As I go over in the biggest mistakes post, one should be careful reading […]
April 30, 2018
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