[crashing_sux]

Getting all excited about the bike park opening up this summer, I was even thinking about riding every single day it was open just for kicks but that's all gone to hell now that I tore my left MCL after crashing on Crippler (Fromme).

Anyone else go through surgery to repair a torn MCL? How long did it keep you off your XC bike? Your DH bike?

 

[Roasted]

So its official now...thats sucks man. What degree tear is it, do you know yet?

 

[Roasted]

When I foudn out you were injured and decided to do some research. After a quick search, 2 or 3 other people (throughout the trustworthy world of the internet) said it takes about 8 weeks and is usually fully healed. This usually doesn't require surgery.

Again this is heresay off the inet...

 

[The Mad Haderer]

depends on the degree of the tear but when i tore mine last year i was off the bike from feb-april, and as dude said it usually doesnt require surgery for the MCL, the ACL is another story...

I got back on just before sea otter and got hurt on jan 31. the docs said it would be a bit longer but i hit the physical therapy hardcore.

whatever u do dotn push it...do alot of spinning with no resistance before u even thing about an XC ride. if it feels a lil

wobbly dont ride.
and above all listen to the docs...they usually know whats up.

 

[crashing_sux]

No idea how badly it's torn, although from talking with the Dr. on the phone and answering his questions he said it sounds like I completely tore through the MCL and he wants to check for ACL damage as well (I guess they often go together).

I'll be getting an MRI Monday.

This is killing me, I moved to Whistler at the end of last summer for the sole purpose of mountain biking. Sure I could have waited until summertime but I told myself that if I waited life might get in the way and I'd end up not doing it so I just moved right away. I've been getting more and more excited as opening day gets closer and now I go and do this and probably screw up any chance I have of riding hard this summer.

:angry:

 

[descender]

If you totally tore your MCL that is grade III and you are looking at 12 weeks +. If it is less torn you are looking around 6-8 weeks.

If you need ACL surgury and it is going to be a year or more until you are back to pushing it.

I have done both. Time will pass. It will workout eventually, but it does suck to have an injury.

 

[crashing_sux]

So it sounds like MCL is not nearly as serious (time wise) as an ACL. In that case I hope my ACL didn't go as well as I've torn an ACL before (other knee) and if the recovery is easier than that then I'll consider it good news.

 

[buildyourown]

When I injured my knee I tore the PCL and LCL at the same time. They didn't know for 6 months that anything was torn since the whole mess was so swollen. I never had it repaired. That was 7.5 yrs ago. It still bothers me, but I can ride the piss out of it. You can go for awhile thinking stuff is just sprained, then the swelling starts to go down and you get some range of motion back and you realize everything is sloppy. My dad did this to his ham string as well.

I hope your prognosis is brighter. DH riding is still lower impact than running or tennis or any dumb ball sports.

 

[Repack]

Originally posted by buildyourown
DH riding is still lower impact than running or tennis or any dumb ball sports.

Right up until you go over the bars and land on one leg off of a drop. That is how I tore my lateral meniscus, but the other side as well as my ACL were already done.
My ortho told me that the job of the ligaments is to protect the meniscus, since it is the meniscus that allows you knee to bend. Riding on an unstable MCL might not hurt it, but you could end up hurting other parts b/c of the reduced stability.

 

[crashing_sux]

Originally posted by Repack
Right up until you go over the bars and land on one leg off of a drop.

Funny, that's exactly what I just did.

 

[Mallet]

I tore my MCL in April 2000. I stayed off the bike completely for 3 weeks, then started back slowly and was back to full speed in just over 5 weeks, although it continued to swell and hurt like hell the better part of that year. Only missed 1 race though. What a deal!