Positive Things That Can Be Said About Severed ACLs !
At least you know what you are dealing with !
You can always use it as an excuse for getting out of certain unpleasant tasks or chores.
You can always say that you are considering a reconstruction but can take all the time you want procrastinating about going ahead with it.
You can strengthen your leg muscles and your knee will probably give you many years of reliable daily life type service.
You can probably do some non-abusive activities and have a good time doing them.
You don't have to fret over what happens if the reconstruction has complications, graft fails or thinking about dealing with that type of surgery.
You can go on Bob's ACL Knee Board and give valuable input to those wanting to know what it is like living with a severed ACL.
Not So Positive Things Said About Severed ACLs
At least you know what you are dealing with !
You will have to use it as an excuse to not participate in many sports activities.
Some OS may not recommend a reconstruction because their assessment is that you are not that active. Then when you get out of the OS office, you realize that perhaps that activity assessment was not quite accurate. This can permanently stifle any thoughts you may have of continuing certain sports activities or initiating new ones.
You may have to settle for a less active lifestyle.
You may have additional knee events if you do certain activities that the ACL functionality was needed.
You may notice some discomfort years later as a result of the looseness in the knee and the additional wear and tear that may result to the cartilage surfaces.
You may go on Bob's ACL Knee Board because you obviously are thinking about your knee. Most people do not think about their knees unless they have concerns.
Of the people I have come across that had no ACL for several years, I can say that two seemed to get by without an ACL fairly well. These individuals continued to do muscle strengthening exercises for their leg and i suspect that the muscles helped provide some stability and protection to the knee. One individual was not doing any active sports any longer. He could do some light jogging but that was about it. The other individual was a big brute of a guy and he was fairly active in hiking and biking. However, there were a number of hiking activities that he did not participate in and I think it was because of his severed ACL. In particular, in Zion Natl Park there is a hike in the river over boulders, rocks and gravel with a 1-3 ft moving water. You needed a hiking stick for balance and it was tricky in spots trying to maintain balance. He did not participate in this event.
I also met a person in therapy that decided to have a reconstruction after a number of years without an ACL. His reasons were that he did not like the feeling sometimes of instability. He also was beginning to have regular discomfort in his knee. The OS had indicated that this was most likely due to the looseness in his knee and the excessive wear and tear on the cartilage surfaces. I was not aware if this individual did or did not exercise his leg regularly. I suspect he did not.
