Torn Achilles Tendon

[Ryan T]

My fellow FZ-6 Riders

Good news is it happened during the Winter months so I don't think I will miss too much riding this Spring.

The bad news is, it happened.

I did not get operated on because its a partial tear but I have been in a cast almost a month now. I go back in on the 3rd of March for them to cut the cast off and hopefully be placed in the boot for the next few weeks or more.

Here is a shoot of my skinny leg in a cast.

I guess I am getting too old to play basketball. I was having a good day too (smile).

 

[Verharen]

Ouch! Were you playing basketball when you injured it? Tendon injuries seem to take forever to heal. Hope your rehab goes well.

 

[2nd childhood]

I was playing hoops years ago with some coworkers and one guy showed up late and started playing without warming up. The snap was so loud it almost made me sick to my stomach. You take care and heal up.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Well I'm having ACL surgery on my left knee in three weeks! Been riding with a torn ACL for over a month now. Still have to dismount from the opposite side of the side stand. First surgery of my life and I'm scared to death. I will be having a nice $150 dinner the night before at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse just in case it will be my last meal.

The brace that I have to wear in intimidating as hell, not sure how I'm going to ride with it on.

 

[Ryan T]

Yes, I was playing basketball. I was midway through the third game when a guy stepped on my heel as I was ready to take off. No pop, just felt like a bad stretch. I could not walk on it when I stood up. Not a lot of pain either.

 

[Ryan T]

No snap sound. It is not a full tear.

 

[Ryan T]

My ACL in my left knee has been torn since 1988. Truly the walking wounded.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

My ACL in my left knee has been torn since 1988. Truly the walking wounded.

No surgery on the ACL?

 

[MitsuFootDr]

Be careful with that achilles tear. Like someone said earlier - these heal super slow. The blood supply to that tendon isn't the best in the world. When you get that fiberglass cast off and into the boot, the best thing you can do is where that boot all the time - no exceptions. Even with conservative treatment like this, surgery is sometimes unavoidable. With a partial tear we're able to reinforce the tendon with grafts, so the surgery isn't as bad as if you had completely ruptured it. Keep us posted!

 

[Ryan T]

No surgery on the ACL?

When they went in to repair and pull out the torn meniscus thats when they realized I had a torn ACL. They could not fix it cause I was out during the operation. When I came to, that's when I found out. Never had it repaired.

 

[OZXJR]

First surgery of my life and I'm scared to death.

I feel for you mate, I,m nearly 50 and never had an operation. It's my biggest fear in life.

 

[Ryan T]

Be careful with that achilles tear. Like someone said earlier - these heal super slow. The blood supply to that tendon isn't the best in the world. When you get that fiberglass cast off and into the boot, the best thing you can do is where that boot all the time - no exceptions. Even with conservative treatment like this, surgery is sometimes unavoidable. With a partial tear we're able to reinforce the tendon with grafts, so the surgery isn't as bad as if you had completely ruptured it. Keep us posted!

Will do. I hope I will not have to wear the boot too long. If I can get back to walking and riding by April that will be great.

 

[Druff]

Good luck and be careful!!! Took me 12 months to be back to full health after almost tearing mine in two, back in the UK they don't operate on those as it will heal with time.

 

[Lefty]

I hope you heal completely and as soon as possible. I had a freak work accident in which I tore mine. In a cast for six weeks and after the cast came off it took some weeks before I had full motion in my ankle. The doctor said I would have better off to have broken my ankle...

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I feel for you mate, I,m nearly 50 and never had an operation. It's my biggest fear in life.

We have man up one of these days. I'm still a little boy in a mans body.

 

[CADMAN]

Will do. I hope I will not have to wear the boot too long. If I can get back to walking and riding by April that will be great.

Take the advice of MitsuFootDr, wear that boot as long as it takes. I ruptured both tendons 10 years apart (86 left, & 96 right). Still have a limp, I'll be 55 in 5 days and can predict bad weather 3 days early, though moving to AZ has been blissful, no rain for months.

 

[MitsuFootDr]

Will do. I hope I will not have to wear the boot too long. If I can get back to walking and riding by April that will be great.

Disclaimer: You are not my patient, and I do not know your medical history - these are only my observations, listen to your treating physician.

April is going to be pushing it. I generally have my patients in a weight bearing boot for 8-12 weeks and start them with physical therapy at about the 5-6 week mark so they don't get stiff. The worst thing to do is weight bear too early and have it completely rupture - then it's surgery. Recovery from that surgery is long.

 

[Ryan T]

Week one in the boot is done. My physical therapy starts on the 27th of March and my next doctors appointment is 1 April. I will continue to wear the boot until otherwise directed. I am able to put full weight on it (doctor says that is ok). It is fairly stiff but I have been doing the exercise the doc gave me.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Did they put you out for the surgery? mine is tomorrow morning to fix my ACL tear in my knee, I will be in a brace for a while. I'm scared. First surgery ever.

They sure are picky about showing up without eating or drinking. What's the difference, people end up with emergency surgery right after they eat or drink.

 

[MitsuFootDr]

Emergency surgery is just that - an emergency. At that point you don't really care whether the patient is surgically optimal or not. You either do surgery or they die. Why do we tell patients not to eat or drink anything after midnight before surgery? So they don't vomit during the procedure when they're under anesthesia, inhale said vomit, and get aspiration pneumonia which could potentially kill you. So it's pretty important to follow the "no eating" rule before a procedure.