My effing calf...post ACL!

KatieMcCork

KatieMcCork

Member
Okay, can't find anything about this in the archives...so here goes.

I had my ACL surgery last Friday. They harvested tendons from my hamstring for the reconstruction. At first everything hurt...incisions, hamstring, etc. Now, everything's getting a little less sore, but my fucking calf is killing me. Did anyone else have this problem?

Furthermore, I'm having a really hard time straightening...how long does that take generally?

Thanks.
 
i'm three weeks post surgery today, and I got the bone-patella bone version of acl reconstruction.  I can get it to flat, and about 90 degrees, but it does hurt to get it there.  I'm told that by four weeks you should be past zero degrees, and 120.

and yeah-- it fucking sucks balls
 
Are you keeping your leg raised above heart-level? If you're not, that could be causing your calf to swell up, which hurts.

Also, keeping something under your ankle and nothing under the back of your knee helps to get full extension.. and makes your knee generally more comfortable after a while. It took me 2 weeks or so to be able to completely straighten my leg using muscle power. It's pretty common for people to completely loose the ability to use their quadriceps right after surgery.. your PT would just use some electrodes to flex your quad for you.. it kinda tingles (or hurts depending on how for they turn it up). If you can still flex you're quad, you're probably in pretty good shape.

 
I've been keeping it raised and wearing a cryo-cuff. It generally hurts more when I'm walking around (with crutches). I can flex my quad and can use it to bend my knee. It is definately hard to use though. I'm not supposed to start physio until after I see my doc again on Tues...but hopefully that will help. When could you put full pressure on your foot (with crutches)?
 
I had a meniscus tear that I got fixed at the same time... so I still can't put weight on that leg (at 5 weeks). It doesn't sound like something that you should be too concerned about though.
 
Yea, I also got the meniscus repaired along with the acl, and it's been three weeks one day and I can put all of my weight on it for a split second.  i've managed to start walking w/o my cane or crutches (cane was a really good intermediate step between crutches and normal walking).

Hows your PT?

Before PT i couldn't put any weight on it, but the physical therapist really helped with taht aspect of it.  Good luck to y'all !
 
my shit hurt so bad where they harvested the tendon and my calf was all bruised in a line coming down from that spot. might be similar?
 
It just takes time... and vicodin haha. I'm about 2 months out and doing strong but still have a ways to go. Biggest thing I can stress is do your physical therapy, as much as it sucks it pays off in the long run and you'll be on your way. Best of luck with it. Join the ACL survivors cult too if you're bored.
 
OK...sweet (well not), but that's what I was looking for!!! As long as it's not abnormal, I'm all good. I definately didn't think my calf would hurt that much from the harvest. Damn. I definately have that bruise and the donor area is really sore.

Thanks. Now I'm not so worried.

I can't wait to start physio now. I've been working on straightening and bending...but it feels like the stitches in the incision above my knee are going to pop.
 
It took me over a year after ACL surgery for my calf not to be sore. There was no pain, just sore for some reason.
 
haha yeah, whenever my PT guy is bending my knee i'm just thinking in my head "please don't pop my stiches, please don't pop the stitches!"
 
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