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Hello, there are very specific diet restrictions prior to any major surgery and we have written a blog about that here: curovate.com/blog/preparing-for-knee-replacement-surgery-part-1-are-there-certain-foods-i-should-avoid-before-my-knee-replacement/ However, these restrictions do not exist once you have had surgery. After surgery I would suggest a health diet that allows your body to heal. Drink enough water and consume enough food to provide the energy you need to do your daily exercise and get around. Things that are not great for healing after surgery include: alcohol, highly processed foods, and refined sugars.

Thank you!

You should be able to cast your screen using either Apple Air Play, Apple screen mirroring or for Android either by using a Google Chrome Cast or connecting to Google Smart Home. The app will also work on any iOS or Android tablet if you prefer a larger screen to view the physical therapy exercise videos.

You are very welcome! We also have a great pre and post-operative app for knee replacement and hip replacement recovery. You can find the app links here: curovate.com/

Yes your knee may click after ACL surgery and this does not indicate a problem. Keep working on your daily exercises to recover. We also have an app for ACL recovery with daily video exercises which you can find at this link: curovate.com/

Hi Henry, based on what youa re describing it does not sound like you put your healing ACL graft through enough strain to tear the graft. It does not sound like you did any activities that involved twisting around your surgical knee, you did not fall or twist awkwardly. It is not impossible to retear your ACL after walking and swimming but it is very unlikely. Usually a return to sports at an early stage can retear the ACL. It is possible that you did more activity than you are accustomed to and therefore you are experiencing some knee pain and swelling. With that said I can not be certain and if you are very concerned about reinjuring your ACL you should seek out an assessment by a physical therapist to assess the integrity of the ACL graft. Good luck and I hope it turns out to be nothing.

Hi, I can understand your frustration. You certainly have been working hard on your recovery and you have not done anything that could risk your ACL graft so I understand why you are both concerned and frustrated. Based on everything you are describing above this does not sound like enough stress on the ACL graft to cause any damage at 5 weeks post-op. My guess is that your pain may be related to patellofemoral pain syndrome and not the ACL graft or MCL or meniscus. It is common to have patellofemoral pain with sit to stand exercises especially while recovering from ACL surgery. This issue means that there was some pre-existing wear and tear behind your knee cap and this now results in pain due to the rest (after injury and early surgery phase) and now returning to challenging exercises for the patellofemoral joint. If it is patellofemoral pain syndrome it is nothing to worry about and gets better with exercises. Here is a blog we wrote about patllofemoral pain syndrome: curovate.com/blog/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/ Also we have an app specifically for people recovering from ACL surgery which you will find helpful and you can find that here: curovate.com/ I would suggest mention these comments to your PT and see if patellofemoral pain syndrome can explain your current symptoms.

⁠​⁠​⁠@@curovateI appreciate the message. I’ll keep patellofemoral pain syndrome in mind and speak to my PT on the matter. When you mention pre-existing wear and tear, do you mean there could’ve been some damage (for lack of a better word) behind the kneecap prior to the ACL tear? And it seems like rest and reduced activity helps recovery. Is this pain syndrome something to be concerned about? This may be tough to gauge but on average how long does this set someone back (another way of asking it is how long does it take on average to recover from patellofemoral pain syndrome)?

@@curovate And do you suggest stopping knee flexion exercises for the time being (a few days)? Exercises I’m thinking of are sit to stands, heel slides, just sitting in a chair “normally” with knees bent.

@@banana_cheese5189 yes that there was likely pre-existing wear and tear around the patellofemoral joint and this is very common. No this is not something to be concerned about and typically gets better with continued exercises. It also typically does not require rest. On average it can take 4-6 weeks for patellofemoral pain syndrome to get better with continued exercises.

@@banana_cheese5189 no I do not suggest stopping your exercises. It may require a slight change in angle of your knee and hip to make this pain feel better but you should not need to stop the sit to stand exercises completely. All of the mentioned exercises should still be safe.

Hi Whitney, it does not sound like your knee is unstable which is good. For the noises that it makes that do not cause pain I would suggest you ignore these noises. There is a possibility that you may have some underlying patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) which can be unrelated to the ACL tear or surgery. I would suggest you read this blog that we wrote about PFPS and see if it sounds like what you are experiencing. curovate.com/blog/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/ Please read this and let me know if this applies to you.

Hello, lots of people have a misstep after their surgery and what you have done does not sound traumatic to the new ALC graft. The shock pain is normal as you put more force and weight through the leg. If you are very concerned I would seek out a physiotherapist to manually assess your knee. Also we have an app for ACL recovery which you can find here: curovate.com/

It does not sounds like it. At 10 weeks the exercises seem reasonable. If you are really concerned I would suggest you ask your PT to test the integrity of your ACL graft. This can easily be done manually. What you have described does not sound like it can damage the ACL. graft.

I have 2 more questions: one leg stand on balance pillow it's allowed to do at 10 weeks post op? when riding on stationary bike can I do with resistance that i can afford or do it without?

@@gicas12345 yes both of these things should be fine at 10 weeks post op ACL

That's great to hear! I'm glad that you found the video helpful. We also have an app specifically for people following a knee replacement that you will find helpful. The app links can be found on our website: curovate.com/

Yes this does sound normal. After a meniscus surgery you are often not allowed to put weight on your leg for a certain number of weeks. When you return to putting weight on your leg it may be painful and this pain should gradually subside. Just to let you know we also have an app for ACL recovery. You can find the app links on our website: curovate.com/

That's great to hear! I hope you found this helpful.

It is the trauma caused by the ACL injury that causes some of the osteoarthritis of the knee. The lack of cartilage damage is a very good sign and may result in less or little knee osteoarthritis later in life. Completing a full course of rehabilitation is also cartilage to limiting future osteoarthritis.

@@curovate yes my understanding is that damage to the meniscus and/or articular cartilage is what produces the OA risk, not so much the ACL tear. But you might have more information about that than me. I do understand that once the joint is disrupted by an injury or by surgery the risk of OA increases, but much less than the cartilage injuries above.

@@kqh123 your understanding is correct that it is damage to the cartilage and meniscus that causes knee osteoarthritis. When the ACL tears it causes the entire knee joint to shift momentarily and this results in the cartilage damage. The damaged cartilage during the initial ACL injury is the area of future knee osteoarthritis.

As a person who has had surgeries and now early OA, it is all very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to reply

@@kqh123 you are very welcome. And please do not be discouraged! Even with knee osteoarthritis most people can remain very active and functional.

Hi, just hearing sounds without any pain, discomfort or knee instability is usually not a cause for concern. If you are doing well in terms of exercises and ability to do everything in your life that you want to do I would suggest not worrying about the sounds.

@curovate1873 thank you so much I was actually worried!

@@aparajitababbar1635 No problem! Keep working hard at your exercises!

Yes this does sound normal. Swelling and some pain after normal ACL exercises can happen. It does not sound like you have done anything to compromise the ACL graft. By the way we also have an ACL recovery app. Find the link in this video description.

It depends on how many months. if you have full knee motion and good strength it is likely that you can return to hiking with no issues. However, return to sports that involve running, pivoting and cutting can take 9 to 12 months after ACL surgery.

At 6 weeks your extension is very good and your knee flexion sounds a bit behind. At this stage you should be able to bend at least 120 degrees. It is important to regain most of your knee flexion by 8 weeks. Unless there is a surgical reason that you care not allowed to bend your knee more than 120? If not I suggest you continue to work on your knee flexion. By the way we also have an app for ACL recovery, here's the link: curovate.com/index.html

Haha you are not crazy! It is a real thing.

I'm sorry to hear that. It must be very annoying to have ongoing knee soreness. If you can not think of a recent activity or injury that may have resulted in this current pain it may be related to the weather. There is a possibility that some of the damage in your original knee injury and surgery was related to your knee cartilage and this can impact what you feel when there is a change in weather. Here is Andrew's full blog about why a knee may hurt when it rains that may give you some more clarity on this issue: curovate.com/blog/why-does-my-knee-hurt-when-it-rains/ We also have an app that provides daily strengthening exercises for people who have cartilage damage in their knee. You can find the app here: curovate.com/

This exercise should be avoided if it causes sharp pain. It is recommended for most people following a knee replacement, ACL surgery, hip replacement and many other knee and hip injuries and surgeries. However, I am not sure if it is appropraite for you.

The first step is to have your knee manually assessed to determine if the graft is torn. If it is a partial tear there is a chance that you can recover with exercises and rehabilitation without surgery.

@@curovate This is the impression in mri “ • ACL reconstruction status. The graft fiber appear edematous with loss of definition towards femoral tunnel but few fibers are still seen. The femoral tunnel is less defined, artifacts seen at the femoral anchor -high grade graft tear is likely - clinical correlation for instability suggested.”

@@arjunratheeshnambiar2660 sorry to hear it. A high grade tear should be assessed to see how stable your knee feels during activity and during a clinical assessment and then you should get advice about how to rehabilitate from this injury. In this case some people get surgery and some people complete rehabilitation without surgery. The important thing to figure out is how stable can you get your knee with the correct exercises.

Hi Aaron, after an ACL surgery the recommendation is to wait at least 9-12 months prior to returning to sports that involve pivoting and twisting such as cricket. It is advisable to wait before returning to sports for at least 9 months and even then you should meet some criteria that suggests you are ready for sports. Here is a great blog we wrote about the requirements of returning to sports after an ACL surgery: curovate.com/blog/when-can-i-return-to-sport-after-acl-injury-or-surgery/ Unfortunately I can not answer your question and it would be very tough to know if you have torn your graft based on your description above. In your case I would recommend that you see a health care provider and ask them to assess the integrity of your ACL graft to confirm that it is not torn.

Sorry to hear it. If all of this applies to you than it is best to have your ACL assessed by a health care provider to check if it is torn.

@@curovate sure didi

@@blazedorbit4884 that sucks! Time to rehab the knee!!

@@curovate I know 😥 This year I aimed for my state and national football trophy Let's see

@@blazedorbit4884 🙏all the best with your recovery!

Not necessarily. You knee can make lots of noises after a meniscus repair and most of them can be ignored. As long as you are following all of your restrictions that you have been given such as not to put weight on your leg for a certain number of days or not bend past a certain degree for a certain number of days you should be fine. Keep in mind some surgeons do not give any restrictions and this is also alright.

@@curovate ok and they also put microfractures in my lateral femoral condyle so i was thinking its maybe because of that

@@icon_mixx4770 yes that is possible. But as long as you followed your surgeons advice about not putting weight on the leg or bot bending past a certain degree for the specified time you should be fine. The noise is likely nothing to worry about.

@@curovate it has been 6 in a half weeks post op when i try to even walk with assistance it hurts a lot my knee hurts on the side it was meniscus repair

@@curovate i am now almost 7 weeks post op walking with crutches has pain in my knee on the side i had medial meniscus repair and sauceraztion and hurts when i bend it to

Hi please email me at info@curovate.com and I will address this issue for you.

Wow that's a lot to deal with! The cyclops lesion and arthrofibrosis often need at least arthroscopic surgery to be removed so you can regain normal knee range of motion. This is where they do surgery with a scope and surgical instruments and remove the scar tissue. If the ACL tear is partial it may not need surgery. The meniscus may need to be removed if it is getting in the way of your knee movements. The flap may, but doesn't always get in the way of your joint movement and then needs to be removed so your knee can function normally. Again this can be done arthroscopically. These are my thoughts but of course I do not know your full medical history nor have I seen the MRI so I would absolutely ask your local PT, orthopaedic surgeon for their advice about your next steps. Does that help as a starting point? Regardless of what you do rehabilitation and daily knee exercises are critical! They should also be started right away to improve your knee function, mobility, pain and strength.

It does not sound like you have put enough strain or trauma on your ACL graft to do any damage. Typically it requires some form of twisting or rotational motion of the knee to damage the graft. However, if you are concerned and the pain persists I recommend you have your knee assessed to make sure the graft is still stable.

With a fall it is very tough to say because it is hard to determine if your knee twisted at all. Due to the fall I would suggest you have your knee assessed just in case to ensure that the graft is still intact. Does that make sense?

It certainly sounds like you have waited more than long enough prior to returning to badminton. If you had already retrained your basic badminton movements such as cutting, lunging, pivoting etc then you likely did everything that you needed to do prior to starting. I would suggest ensuring that you have equal or better strength in your surgical leg compared to your non-surgical leg now that you have returned to badminton. Basic things like can is your vertical jump, double leg jump for distance, single leg jump for distance, single leg triple jump all the same height or distance. If so then they are close to the same strength. Also you can't ignore the mental aspect of returning to badminton. Fear of reinjury is very real and it is tough to overcome. The best thing you can do is train the motions of badminton to feel more comfortable and keep up with strengthening of your surgical leg. Does that help?

It doesn't sound like you did anything drastic in terms of activity to cause your knee to give out. If there was a new injury or a fall it would be more concerning but if it happened just walking it is highly unlikely that you tore your ACL. Does that help? Please monitor it over the next few days and see if it settles. If you are very concerned seek out an in-person assessment to ensure your graft is still stable.

Hi I'm sorry I missed this message. The short answer is yes it is not a great idea at 4 weeks after surgery. It is unlikely that you did any damage but you should wait until you do leg extensions with 40 pounds. Again I don't think you did any damage but you will know if your knee feels unstable.

If there was no trauma and you were just doing your permitted activities it is unlikely that you sustained a tear. In the first few weeks your knee can "buckle" due to weakness of your quadriceps muscles. If there is no swelling, no pain and your knee does not feel unstable it is likely nothing to worry about.

@@curovate it happened while i was walking and it felt like i took a wrong step or something, it was after a day doing a lot of exercises so maybe my leg was just tired?

@@EasyMoneyHooper yes it is very possible that this was a result of fatigue. I hope it settles.

Hello, sorry to hear about your slip. What you are describing sounds like a patellar subluxation. This is when the knee cap slides out slightly away from where it usually glides and then quickly slides back to the position where it normally glides. Based on your description I can not be certain if there was any damage done to the ACL graft. I suggest you continue to monitor your knee and if your knee feels unstable, swells, has more pain then you should seek our an in-person assessment by a health care provider to heck the integrity of your graft. Does that help?

@@curovate Tysm for replying! So far theres no pain and its as if it never happened but it deffintly put some fear in me since I cant be sure if it might happen again, I think I'll get it checked out just in case!

@@bloo_bits4452 no problem. I think that's a good idea to get it checked out. I hope everything is fine.

I can not be sure but it does not sound like you put enough force into your knee to tear a graft. If you were lacking knee range of motion prior to surgery you will feel pulling and hear all sorts of sounds which are not a concern. Nothing you describe sounds concerning at this point. If your knee starts to feel unstable you should have it assessed.

@@curovate thank you very much

@@iestynowen9349 you are very welcome and I hope your knee is fine.

Swelling after 20 days can still be normal. It sounds like your knee range of motion is also improving gradually which is great! Keep up with your daily exercises and the swelling should improve. We also have an app for ACL recovery which you can find in this video description.

It is very unlikely that you have a tear of your graft from just walking and using the stairs. A lack of extension of your knee does not mean that you have torn your ACL graft.

Is there any way to extend my knee extension?

@@harshkonde5674 yes by doing daily knee extension with a small weight above the knee cap to improve your knee extension.

If you have already had an ACL surgery then there should be no need for another surgery 1 year later. If the ACL graft is intact but you have pain this is not a reason for another surgery. There has to be something wrong with the ACL or the graft to undergo surgery.

Update I put a cold tissue on the knee and the redness slowly disappeared

That's great to hear that applying some ice reduced the redness. What you described above, stepping awkwardly does not sound like it should cause your ACL graft to tear. I would suggest continuing to use ice and monitor the knee to ensure that it returns back to normal.

This does not sound like a cause for concern. You will have lots of weird sensations in your knee for the first month.

Because you were on a motorcycle the forces and weight you put through your knee are significant. It is possible to reinjury your ACL graft and or hamstring in what you are describing. I am not trying to worry you but getting your ACL assessed for stability is the next step. A physical therapist can do a manual assessment ot determine if the ACL graft is still intact. I would suggest you get your knee assessed.

@@curovate Hello again! Adding more details, after I started the motorcycle's engine, it moved forward briefly but then abruptly stopped, so it didn't cover much distance. To prevent falling, I used my leg that underwent the surgery. The hamstring where I felt pain immediately after this incident is the same area that was painful during the first week after my surgery. Is there still a chance that I might have harmed something? By the way, it's the day after the incident, and currently, I'm not experiencing any pain.

@@heyitskonanI still think it is worth getting it checked out. The amount of force a motorcycle can put through your new graft is significant and I would suggest being certain about the integrity of your graft. I hope everything turns out to be okay.

@@curovate Hi! Thank you for your thorough advice, and for just taking the time to answer all my queries! I appreciate it! You've just gained a subscriber! 🤗

@@heyitskonan thanks! Happy to help!! 👍

Yes when you return to sports your chances of reinjury to the ACL are higher than before your surgery. This is unfortunate but true. 9 months is the absolutely minimum prior to returning to sports. It is not just a mental aspect. Research studies have shown that the incidence rates of ACL reinjury drastically reduces after 9 months and is highest between 6-9 months for return to sports. At 10 weeks you should not be playing pickle ball. Even if you take it easy you are risking ACL reinury.

That is very unfortunate. However, you can live and function with a torn ACL graft. There is more research coming out that shows that if you focus on rehabilitating your knee you can have a stable knee even with a torn ACL or ACL graft. We wrote a blog about ACL recovery without surgery here: curovate.com/blog/what-does-the-research-say-about-non-operative-acl-rehabilitation/ Also our app has specific daily rehabilitation exercises for people after ACL who are doing their recovery without surgery. Just look for "ACL non surgical" in our app. You can find the links to download our app in this video description.

Thanks for your quick response 😊

@@saritaswain882 No problem! And best of luck with the recovery.

Hi, I'm sorry to hear it. What you describe does not sound like it would be enough to damage your ACL graft. It does not sound like a motion that involves twisting or pivoting with your body weight going through your leg. For this reason the graft may be fine but I have no way to know for sure. I would recommend 2 things: 1. Speak to your physical therapist and tell them "I am worried I might have injured my graft when I did this exercises. Can you please manually check to see that my graft is stable." 2. Ice, elevate and compress the knee to allow the pain and possibly swelling to settle for the next 7 days and see if this resolves your pain and discomfort. Let me know how it goes with your physical therapist.

@@curovate hello just want to update, yesterday's evening it hurts a lot and I was really scared but today after good long sleep it's better I can walk comfortably almost like Yesterday morning before the therapy so I'm much less worried I will mention it tomorrow to my therapist. Thank you a lot for your quick answer

@@simonspacek8288 that's great news! I hope it continues to improve. Yes please ask your therapist. Also on a related note we have an ACL rehabilitation app intended for daily physical therapy exercises progress tracking and allowing you to measure your knee range of motion. You can find a link to our app in the description of this video. All the best.

Unfortunately this is not normal. Typically by 2 months most people have close to their end range knee flexion and extension. It can take up to 3 months but you should have already seen significant improvements by the end of 2 months.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your recent injury. It sounds like the ankle was also injured seriously so you are correct it is tough to tell if the knee is impacted significantly. However, this does sound like a traumatic injury to the ACL surgical leg and therefore it does require an in-person assessment of your knee for stability. A physical therapist or a sports medicine doctor should be able to manually assess your knee to determine if there has been damage to the ACL graft. I wish I could provide you with the assurance that your graft is fine but with what you are describing I can't be certain and I would recommend an in-person healthcare provider assessment. I hope the graft is fine!🤞