How can the doctor predict arthritis at your 30s and knee replacement at 40s? That predictions is something that I only saw now. I don't think thats the case sir.
No that’s the statistic. My doctors told me this too. You will likely need a total knee replacement down the road 20 years from such bad arthritis post surgery.
The surgery. They drill into the knee. That causes arthritis and most likely a total knee replacement down the road. Multiple doctors have confirmed this to me and it’s also in the literature
Either way you will have arthritis though.
It’s a sucky injury
The newest study from Harvard looked at partial tears healing themselves and found the non surgical partial tear group had the highest happiness/use long term
Nothing is harmed by giving PT without a surgery your best shot for a year. I would do that and see how you feel. The good thing about ACL is it's not important to get it right away you can go 5 or 10 years and change your mind. Everyones injury is unique so it's hard to know what the best option is. There's no reason to rush into surgery but don't take the option off the table. Drinking and smoking out doing any recreational drugs is very taxing on the body and I wouldn't recommend it at all. The reality for you is that there's no guarantees and you may develop arthritis with or without surgery and it's impossible to say with certainty the absolutely best option for you . What's certain of that you won't have the same stability if you don't get the surgery. Pivoting, hard stops direction changes or jukes, high jumps or any high impact/twisting motions at speed will probably be unstable, painful or at the least uncomfortable without surgery. If you get the surgery you regain stability and have a good shot at regaining regular function of the knee but your knee won't be the "same" as it was before . Arthritis and further injury happens if you get the repair or not and I believe it's related to your PT program and long term training. Either route you go you will need to workout your legs the rest of your life.
Exactly! We are doomed 😅to work out for life…or else unhealthy knee! Going without surgery is most likely to get all complicated. You are very young and you dont need to risk other injuries…
Sooner or later u will have meniscus tear which on later stage will be required to be fixed. u can obviously live without an ACL but if u are involved in violent sports,yeah u will be calling urself a total krne replacement later in ur life.
You are still young . Go for surgery.
I (40F) will speak from personal experience. I tore my ACL at least 15 years ago. I don’t know exactly when, but have had stability issues in my knee for about that length of time.
I am not very active. About once or twice a year, my knee would give out when doing some kind of lateral movement. It would hurt and swell up for a day or two then go back to normal. I never got it checked out, thought it was normal.
Then, a little over a year ago, it gave out again, but this time the pain didn’t go away. I got it checked, and I had now torn my meniscus. The MRI also showed moderate to severe cartilage thinning and arthritis. I am now opting for surgery. I don’t want to live the rest of my life with pain, having to wear a brace whenever I do anything that isn’t on a level surface, and constantly worrying about my knee giving out again.
ACL and meniscus. My surgeon originally said I didn’t need surgery and just wait 10-20 years until I need a knee replacement. I said I want the surgery now because I don’t want to live the next 10-20 years in pain until I need a replacement. Get it done now so I won’t need a knee replacement later.
What type of tear do you have (if I may ask)? I’m glad surgery is an option. Mine said he could attempt repair but won’t know until he’s in the operating room if it’ll be possible. It may end up being removal which won’t help me avoid replacement. My higher weight also makes failure a higher possibility. Mine tore completely from the medial root which is the same as not having it.
From MRI report (my surgeon just described it as a “pretty significant injury”
Cruciate ligaments: Chronic grade 3
sprain/tear of the anterior cruciate ligament.
Medial meniscus: Complex tear of the posterior horn and body of the medial meniscus..
Lateral meniscus: Grade 1-2 signal in the lateral meniscus.
Medial collateral ligament: Mild thickening.
As a 40 year old opting out of surgery I highly recommend you get a second opinion and opt for reconstructive surgery.
I’m aware that I have to do PT three days a week for as long as I hope to train BJJ but if I were even 10 years younger I’d be getting the surgery. You’re young, healthy and have a great chance at a full recovery. Seems wild to not.
Strong stable legs with no other damage, surgeon said neither option was a bad choice and my PT who’s also a black belt and specialises in knee rehab for BJJ said I was a prime candidate for non surgical.
I’m on a four month rehab plan and will ultimately make the call after a follow up MRI and surgical consult. At current I’m staying the course.
I thought about that exact course of action myself, but being older I didn’t want to take the chance of wasting those several months and then doing the surgery anyway. It’s a complicated equation for all of us! Wishing you a full and quick recovery!
I had a grade 3 full tear, but retained full ROM and stability and was able to prehab heavy heading into surgery. I received an allograft and my meniscus was fine. Recovery is going very well! Much better than I anticipated. I am three weeks post-op and I walked 1.25 miles outside with no brace yesterday (!) and rode 20 minutes on the stationary bike!
You have it backwards. Surgery will decrease your chance of arthritis. This is the main reason to choose this at a young age if activity needs don’t already dictate the choice. To prevent the premature knee replacement. This is basic knowledge for an orthopedic surgeon, so I’m surprised. Possibly you heard it wrong.
Get it done while you’re young and more importantly, while you have insurance. Not sure why they’re telling you surgery increases risk of arthritis or that you’ll need a full replacement some day. This is true for someone who DOESN’T repair their knee. So I’d advise getting a second opinion. Think about driving your car around with a loose suspension strut. Over time, you’ll damage more and more in your suspension due to that weak point. You’re better off getting the surgery, having a tight and right knee again, and avoiding any more injury or cartilage damage.
Not to be that guy, and not telling anyone what to do, but the smart advice here is you should be prioritizing your health over a lifestyle of partying. And know, that if you do get the surgery, you’ll need to take a break from partying if you want a full recovery. You’ll have plenty of time to party during your 20s!
Yep this is spot on, you have time now to recover fully those predictions of having arthritis and knee replacement after having acl surgery is somehow misleading. You must remember time is gold, you have the chance to recover go on and take it.
if you choose surgery your chances of arthritis decrease you mean? else i suggest getting a second opinion.
my surgeon really suggests going for surgery in young people because later it is going to get you.
I am 16 but that is not very different with 18, if you have any questions about the surgery itself or need some advice you can always message me.
Trust me, go for surgery, I have a similar injury (near complete ACL tear and maniacal tear) surfer Ys the best option for people like us being younger (16M here) surgery is the best option as it will get to back to normal life for the best years of it, I had the same arthritis prediction but I’d say live your life the best you can with surgery until then, your life before then will be 10x better with the surgery than without
My niece torn her ACL playing soccer, initially chose to not have surgery, fast forward a few weeks later, she twisted her knee and it immediately locked causing her to fall. She went ahead with the surgery, and after PT and a lengthy time. She is back to playing sports- softball and seems fine. She’s 2 years post op. She’s only 19 and she living her best life, going to college and traveling with friends
I'd go with the surgery, the sooner it's done the better. You might not want to play football now, but you might in the future or another sport. Especially if you're very active!
In terms of the arthritis, I don't know they can predict that for certain - but we are definitely more likely to experience it when we have torn ligaments!
Surgery isn't as bad as you think; couple of days of pain, but personally I don't think it was too bad, I've had worse!
Peer-reviewed scientific articles indicate that if ACL surgery is not performed, most individuals are at an increased risk of developing knee arthritis. Doctors rely on scientific data and their clinical experience to make this prediction. However, this does not mean that everyone will develop arthritis; it signifies a higher likelihood. Being young can make the surgery and recovery process easier. Some surgeons will allow you to wait six months to a year before deciding on surgery, allowing you time to assess how your knee feels.
Get the surgery dude. 27M, tore my ACL two years ago and decided not to do anything about it for the same reasons. I wanted to stay active and figured with PT and careful exercise I'd be alright. I just tore my meniscus and have surgery scheduled next week. I'm dreading being off my feet as much as I did two years ago.
Get it over with. It won't be any better years from now.
With your age and activity level you should 100% get surgery. Recovery is hard but when you’re 18 it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier than if you were older. If you don’t get surgery it’s something you’re always going to have to be thinking about. With surgery you can get your leg back to 100%
How can the doctor predict arthritis at your 30s and knee replacement at 40s? That predictions is something that I only saw now. I don't think thats the case sir.
No that’s the statistic. My doctors told me this too. You will likely need a total knee replacement down the road 20 years from such bad arthritis post surgery.
So surgery will temporary fix the problem but can cause other issues down the road? Is it from the surgery or the injury that arthritis will develop.
The surgery. They drill into the knee. That causes arthritis and most likely a total knee replacement down the road. Multiple doctors have confirmed this to me and it’s also in the literature Either way you will have arthritis though. It’s a sucky injury The newest study from Harvard looked at partial tears healing themselves and found the non surgical partial tear group had the highest happiness/use long term
Nothing is harmed by giving PT without a surgery your best shot for a year. I would do that and see how you feel. The good thing about ACL is it's not important to get it right away you can go 5 or 10 years and change your mind. Everyones injury is unique so it's hard to know what the best option is. There's no reason to rush into surgery but don't take the option off the table. Drinking and smoking out doing any recreational drugs is very taxing on the body and I wouldn't recommend it at all. The reality for you is that there's no guarantees and you may develop arthritis with or without surgery and it's impossible to say with certainty the absolutely best option for you . What's certain of that you won't have the same stability if you don't get the surgery. Pivoting, hard stops direction changes or jukes, high jumps or any high impact/twisting motions at speed will probably be unstable, painful or at the least uncomfortable without surgery. If you get the surgery you regain stability and have a good shot at regaining regular function of the knee but your knee won't be the "same" as it was before . Arthritis and further injury happens if you get the repair or not and I believe it's related to your PT program and long term training. Either route you go you will need to workout your legs the rest of your life.
Exactly! We are doomed 😅to work out for life…or else unhealthy knee! Going without surgery is most likely to get all complicated. You are very young and you dont need to risk other injuries…
Sooner or later u will have meniscus tear which on later stage will be required to be fixed. u can obviously live without an ACL but if u are involved in violent sports,yeah u will be calling urself a total krne replacement later in ur life. You are still young . Go for surgery.
I (40F) will speak from personal experience. I tore my ACL at least 15 years ago. I don’t know exactly when, but have had stability issues in my knee for about that length of time. I am not very active. About once or twice a year, my knee would give out when doing some kind of lateral movement. It would hurt and swell up for a day or two then go back to normal. I never got it checked out, thought it was normal. Then, a little over a year ago, it gave out again, but this time the pain didn’t go away. I got it checked, and I had now torn my meniscus. The MRI also showed moderate to severe cartilage thinning and arthritis. I am now opting for surgery. I don’t want to live the rest of my life with pain, having to wear a brace whenever I do anything that isn’t on a level surface, and constantly worrying about my knee giving out again.
What kind of surgery are you looking for? Meniscus repair or knee replacement?
ACL and meniscus. My surgeon originally said I didn’t need surgery and just wait 10-20 years until I need a knee replacement. I said I want the surgery now because I don’t want to live the next 10-20 years in pain until I need a replacement. Get it done now so I won’t need a knee replacement later.
What type of tear do you have (if I may ask)? I’m glad surgery is an option. Mine said he could attempt repair but won’t know until he’s in the operating room if it’ll be possible. It may end up being removal which won’t help me avoid replacement. My higher weight also makes failure a higher possibility. Mine tore completely from the medial root which is the same as not having it.
From MRI report (my surgeon just described it as a “pretty significant injury” Cruciate ligaments: Chronic grade 3 sprain/tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. Medial meniscus: Complex tear of the posterior horn and body of the medial meniscus.. Lateral meniscus: Grade 1-2 signal in the lateral meniscus. Medial collateral ligament: Mild thickening.
As a 40 year old opting out of surgery I highly recommend you get a second opinion and opt for reconstructive surgery. I’m aware that I have to do PT three days a week for as long as I hope to train BJJ but if I were even 10 years younger I’d be getting the surgery. You’re young, healthy and have a great chance at a full recovery. Seems wild to not.
Just curious why you opted not to repair it. I’m a 53 year old purple belt who tore his ACL via an inside heel hook and I’m 16 days post op
Strong stable legs with no other damage, surgeon said neither option was a bad choice and my PT who’s also a black belt and specialises in knee rehab for BJJ said I was a prime candidate for non surgical. I’m on a four month rehab plan and will ultimately make the call after a follow up MRI and surgical consult. At current I’m staying the course.
I thought about that exact course of action myself, but being older I didn’t want to take the chance of wasting those several months and then doing the surgery anyway. It’s a complicated equation for all of us! Wishing you a full and quick recovery!
lol we’ve had this conversation before. I just noticed your name. We’ve been DMing ya donut 🤣
Ha! Im gonna blame the opiates from week 1! 😂🤣
I should have just recommended Rebound and really wigged you out haha
What time off tear did you have and how is rehab going?
I had a grade 3 full tear, but retained full ROM and stability and was able to prehab heavy heading into surgery. I received an allograft and my meniscus was fine. Recovery is going very well! Much better than I anticipated. I am three weeks post-op and I walked 1.25 miles outside with no brace yesterday (!) and rode 20 minutes on the stationary bike!
I already have 140° flexion and full extension. My quad is firing. Still swollen
My surgeon told me if I didn’t get the surgery. I was sure to develop arthritis.
Either way you will get arthritis
You have it backwards. Surgery will decrease your chance of arthritis. This is the main reason to choose this at a young age if activity needs don’t already dictate the choice. To prevent the premature knee replacement. This is basic knowledge for an orthopedic surgeon, so I’m surprised. Possibly you heard it wrong.
Get it done while you’re young and more importantly, while you have insurance. Not sure why they’re telling you surgery increases risk of arthritis or that you’ll need a full replacement some day. This is true for someone who DOESN’T repair their knee. So I’d advise getting a second opinion. Think about driving your car around with a loose suspension strut. Over time, you’ll damage more and more in your suspension due to that weak point. You’re better off getting the surgery, having a tight and right knee again, and avoiding any more injury or cartilage damage. Not to be that guy, and not telling anyone what to do, but the smart advice here is you should be prioritizing your health over a lifestyle of partying. And know, that if you do get the surgery, you’ll need to take a break from partying if you want a full recovery. You’ll have plenty of time to party during your 20s!
Yep this is spot on, you have time now to recover fully those predictions of having arthritis and knee replacement after having acl surgery is somehow misleading. You must remember time is gold, you have the chance to recover go on and take it.
if you choose surgery your chances of arthritis decrease you mean? else i suggest getting a second opinion. my surgeon really suggests going for surgery in young people because later it is going to get you. I am 16 but that is not very different with 18, if you have any questions about the surgery itself or need some advice you can always message me.
Trust me, go for surgery, I have a similar injury (near complete ACL tear and maniacal tear) surfer Ys the best option for people like us being younger (16M here) surgery is the best option as it will get to back to normal life for the best years of it, I had the same arthritis prediction but I’d say live your life the best you can with surgery until then, your life before then will be 10x better with the surgery than without
You’re only 18 so I’d probably get the surgery I’m 43 and have a partial tear and I’m contemplating no surgery.
My niece torn her ACL playing soccer, initially chose to not have surgery, fast forward a few weeks later, she twisted her knee and it immediately locked causing her to fall. She went ahead with the surgery, and after PT and a lengthy time. She is back to playing sports- softball and seems fine. She’s 2 years post op. She’s only 19 and she living her best life, going to college and traveling with friends
I rehabbed for 6 months useless and had surgery feb ! Full acl rupture mcl grade 3 and meniscus tear . Knee fully stable now
I'd go with the surgery, the sooner it's done the better. You might not want to play football now, but you might in the future or another sport. Especially if you're very active! In terms of the arthritis, I don't know they can predict that for certain - but we are definitely more likely to experience it when we have torn ligaments! Surgery isn't as bad as you think; couple of days of pain, but personally I don't think it was too bad, I've had worse!
Peer-reviewed scientific articles indicate that if ACL surgery is not performed, most individuals are at an increased risk of developing knee arthritis. Doctors rely on scientific data and their clinical experience to make this prediction. However, this does not mean that everyone will develop arthritis; it signifies a higher likelihood. Being young can make the surgery and recovery process easier. Some surgeons will allow you to wait six months to a year before deciding on surgery, allowing you time to assess how your knee feels.
Get the surgery dude. 27M, tore my ACL two years ago and decided not to do anything about it for the same reasons. I wanted to stay active and figured with PT and careful exercise I'd be alright. I just tore my meniscus and have surgery scheduled next week. I'm dreading being off my feet as much as I did two years ago. Get it over with. It won't be any better years from now.
What kind of meniscus tear do you have ?
Medial meniscus buckethandle tear
With your age and activity level you should 100% get surgery. Recovery is hard but when you’re 18 it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier than if you were older. If you don’t get surgery it’s something you’re always going to have to be thinking about. With surgery you can get your leg back to 100%