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Seem s like Acl s in motocross is one of the most common injury s. Plus it is a season ender most of the time too. Just wondering why most pro s get them repaired .MC rode most of his career without one . I have had 4 torn acl s .twice repaired . I don't have one in both knees now . With the proper muscle building you can get the knee really stable . There seems to be more and more science against getting them repaired..I know that I hav dabed my foot and twisted my knee a few times were I am certain it would have been another torn acl. But Instead now my knee swells up for a wk and is fine again .I know this is going to be hard on my knee s on the long run . But the science is showing that it's looking like it s only as hard as getting another repaired acl .Take Wilson. That's like the 3rd time his acl is gone In 3 years . Imo he would be better off skipping surgery. And building muscle to stablize the knee without an acl .so he can't tear it again . I can understand getting acl s fixed if you are paying soccer etc. But you can train for mx by cycling .there s no side to side moments .it only when you dab your foot or fall the acl is put under alot of strain . Plus you could be back in a couple of weeks without V s 6 month getting it fixed .
There have been pro football (American football) players who were without ACLs. One that comes to mind was Hines Ward. Played a looong time for the Pittsburg Steelers, was highly regarded for his durability. Amazed me that he was without one of his ACLs, and he was a receiver which meant starting/stopping/cutting quickly.
These guys are putting some serious pressure on their joints that we can’t really imagine. From practice to racing.
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If it's unstable and hurts when you dab it, like AC said, then you have to get it fixed or you'll continue to damage the knee and suffer training downtime.
I've had it multiple times on both knees but only once on my right knee. Neither will be 100% but my right knee gives me no pain and is stable. But I know I can blow it out easier than I could have before the surgery. Unfortunately experience lets you know your limits and my limit is way less than before surgery. So I would say my good knee is about 80% of what it was prior to injury. I got it fixed right after it was injured and I had zero stability in it. I think I used crutches to go to the OR.
My left is trashed and will be a replacement some day. I went over 10 years ACL deficient with it and have popped it out seemingly 199 of times. 4 or 5 surgeries, and it is stable but limited after the last surgery and the ACL didn't take or doesn't show up on an MRI. I could blow it out real easy if I didn't pay mind to it. So my running, jumping, riding is limited to prevent blowing it out. I've always been a very aggressive pro level rider and if I truly put out and rode to my ability, my knee wouldn't take it. Not at all. Most of the time prior to surgery I popped my knee out in rhythm sections, and leaving jump faces. Not planting my leg in turns like you would think. Trying to pop you knee back in with a knee brace on while in the air from something you sprung off of or seat bounced really really sucks. Trying to get a knee brace off to put your knee back in sucks as well. That is the risk these guys run by being ACL deficient.
That being said, I got both of mine done when I was through trying to be competitive and Obama Care rid me of insurance. So I went with the fix it when I'm done plan. I can't imagine any of the pros not having knee problems. I can't imagine any of them being 100% after knee surgery. I imagine they get them fixed because they are tired of them popping out or can't ride without issues. ACL replacement is their best option at riding to their ability if they continue to have problems by being ACL deficient.
Also, being ACL deficient effects you not only in your ability to do things without paying mind to it but it will also effect you in other ways when you start favoring and injured leg. Like back pains, hip pains, sciatica, ankle and calf cramps, even your big toe. Adam C is young but after going a year or better without an ACL, I would say it is not just his ACL that is bothering him but maybe something else from compensating his favored leg. That is just my opinion.
Our sport needs people like Dean. If there is any team that would give him another shot, it is the Husky team. I can really see Bobby Hewitt giving Deano another shot. Even if its on a low salary/heavy incentive type of deal.
Knee pain is the absolute worst when it comes to sports. I can ride with my lower disk degeneration in my back over the acl I had injured.
It does come down to the individual but i have had both knees done and it gets to a point where you just need to bite the bullet and get it done. Stability was my biggest issue....
Pit Row
I kept riding / racing on both types of 2 wheels - ICE and leg powered. I had thighs and calves like tree trunks, from BMX and other Bicycle racing. Though, I literally haven't been able to run since I was 16. And, I kept repeatedly twisting the hell out of my knees no matter how strong my leg muscles were. Tried all sorts of knee braces / taping, until I got my first CTIs in '88. They helped a fair bit, but, short of putting bolts through your tibia and femur, you'll still twist knees. At least they give you a chance at not having your leg blown out to (and past) right angles to where they should be.......
I've had 8 recos (and many, many other procedures) now, using xenografts, cadaver replacement, patella tendons, and 3 different synthetic replacements. I've so much hardware left in my knees, shin and femur- that now joint replacement is very difficult.
And then, there are all the other injuries created by having damaged knees. And they can be horrendous.
I've needed joint replacement (knees and hips) for a few decades now, but prefer to keep my body parts for as long as possible. It's getting close to having to have them cut out - no option. I'm on walking sticks, crutches, and at times, walking (zimmer) frames. With completely unstable knees, that bend , at times, less than 90 degrees, and being unable to stand whilst riding effectively, I've a weird riding style, with a very modified bike to suit me.
Still ride though, as much as possible. I'm lucky to live at the edge of suburbia, with the mountains behind me.
Continued twisting / dislocation really destroys the knee joint itself .
That's the danger of not getting an ACL / PCL repaired - the damage to the joints from continued injury.
You've got to find a Good Ortho - there are some truly crap ones out there that will leave you worse off. I've had fantastic ones, and some Butchers - and the Butchers have made things far, far worse for me, and, I assume, many other patients
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