Racers with knee injuries???

[Khalid 171]

I have a question for any racers out there that have knee injuries. I blew out my ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL, Muniscus, and joint capsule last year. I have been in rehab the whole time. I can bend my knee about 115 degrees right now and might get it to 120 if I am extreamly lucky. Does anybody know if this will be enough to race?? I know it is a weird question but I really want to race, but I just don't know if I ever will be able to or not again. So if anybody can relate please help me out and let me know what my chances are. Thanks And hopefully one day I will see you guys out there again racing and not just watching.

[Lel]

justin meyer (turbohoje) just had knee surgery and is out for 6 monthsish from his wreck at barber last thursday, but hes in the early stages he should be talking to you!

Anyway I think mike applehans was saying its happend to him before, he would be a great resource to ask.

lel

[Lurch]

Talk to Pedro Bravo(TK can get you his digits) he has two aftermarket knees and is racing still.

Lurch

[Turtle]

I am right with you on that 115-120 mark & I race & ride normal in the cyn's.
I shattered my right femur down by the knee tore the ACL & PCL completely off the bone & also have lost 1.25" of length because the pieces were to small to attach to anything.

So all I can say to you is, Don't fight the physical therapist do everything they tell you to do because they know what works & don't give into the pain take it until it makes you cry because it is true what is said "No Pain,No Gain".
I pushed to get back to a semi normal life & daily am in pain but I know I have two options get over it & move on or let it get to me & give up on doing the things I love to do.

Good luck on your recovery & we will see you out on the track.

Kevin

[Khalid 171]

Thanks for all the replies.

Turtle. I really apreciate the info and am glad you can relate. On my own I can get to about 105-110 by myself and with my therapist she can get me to 115 pretty hard, but yesterday almost put me in tears but got to 119. I am trying my best and do everything they say to do. Right now as it stands I can sit on a sport bike but it is not easy. I just really really want to make the double header at PPIR in September as my first race for the season. I push myself as hard as I can by myself at the gym but I just don't don't feel like it is enough, but if you are in the same boat that is huge and gives me more motavation. As my goal is is to race again. I really appreciate it again and I really really hope to see you guys at PPIR. I have my new bike (05 R6 ) ready to get prepped but I am just waiting for my body to heal. I hope everything works out. Again thanks a ton. I might come talk with you sometime. What is your MRA number?? I will track you down and talk with you.

[Anonymous]

I think you'll be ok, but the best bet would be for you to hit SCR on a quiet day (wait til after the races next weekend) and give it a shot. Just start slow, *take it easy*, and don't do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. You're going to have to try it for yourself and see how it goes. The only part I see you having trouble with is the inside knee (dragging it) since that's bent pretty tight, you may have to adapt a bit there.

[Turtle]

Thanks for all the replies.

Turtle. I really apreciate the info and am glad you can relate. On my own I can get to about 105-110 by myself and with my therapist she can get me to 115 pretty hard, but yesterday almost put me in tears but got to 119. I am trying my best and do everything they say to do. Right now as it stands I can sit on a sport bike but it is not easy. I just really really want to make the double header at PPIR in September as my first race for the season. I push myself as hard as I can by myself at the gym but I just don't don't feel like it is enough, but if you are in the same boat that is huge and gives me more motavation. As my goal is is to race again. I really appreciate it again and I really really hope to see you guys at PPIR. I have my new bike (05 R6 ) ready to get prepped but I am just waiting for my body to heal. I hope everything works out. Again thanks a ton. I might come talk with you sometime. What is your MRA number?? I will track you down and talk with you.

My MRA#is 716 Yellow backing(Novice)
I have trouble getting on the bike after a few days of not riding the knee is stiff but after a few miles the knee gets a little more flexible.
I can tell you that after an endurance race or long practic it is very hard to straighten my knee it takes almost 1min. before I can put weight on my leg. But the pain I endured through rehab helped cope with the pain after riding. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Come out to SCR next weekend & track me down.

[cu360r6]

I had several knee injuries in 11 years of ski racing including 2 rebuilds. It's pretty tough for me to finish an endurance race at speed or to even lap longer than about :30 at one time. I think the taller you are the worse of you'll be. I'm 6'2', and my legs are really bent back when I'm on the bike. The day after most track days my knees feel like stiff jelly. Like most have said if you can stand the pain go for it. I don't think there is any long term detrimental effect to riding.

[Bueller]

I had several knee injuries in 11 years of ski racing including 2 rebuilds. It's pretty tough for me to finish an endurance race at speed or to even lap longer than about :30 at one time. I think the taller you are the worse of you'll be. I'm 6'2', and my legs are really bent back when I'm on the bike. The day after most track days my knees feel like stiff jelly. Like most have said if you can stand the pain go for it. I don't think there is any long term detrimental effect to riding.

You are sooo screwed when you get older I have had a ACL recon. and cartlige (sp) "maintenance" in my left knee and an ACL and MCL recon. in the right knee. Some times it is a little tuff to get them loose enough to get comfortable on the bike and after a hard track day or races they are sore for a couple days, but for me it is worth it. Dirtbike riding became a little too much to deal with so for now I am done with that.

[JoeCode]

يا خالد هل أنت عربيّ أو جنديّ لغويّ ؟
I had ACL recon two years ago and failed to follow through on physical therapy. I now have horrible range of motion and will have to go back. It will probably be much harder now. Good luck and do it right the first time.

[Khalid 171]

[quote="JoeCode";p="208473"]يا خالد هل أنت عربيّ أو جنديّ لغويّ ؟
quote]

Ana Kuwaiti, bes ma araph iktab be lugka al arabia ala el computer. Wa inta min wain??

[Khalid 171]

Thanks for all the replies again. I do what they tell me to do, but it is getting harder and harder, plus my last surgery they tore my quad so I am trying to get thrue that also. I really try and do my best even if it hurts bad, but sometimes I just tell myself enough is enough.

[cu360r6]

I'm hoping that by the time I'm 40 the medical profession can grow me a new set of knees out of stem cells.

[BlueDevil]

I took a bullet from an AK-47 right behind my knee cap in 1993. Broke the femur in 5 places, and tore out most of the soft tissue in there...... Rehab for nearly a year as well, I was expected to walk with a limp for the rest of my life and no running...... After 4 huge screws, and 3 knee surgeries, I have full range of motion. All though my knee looks like a beat up old softball...... Only way to know for sure is to get out there on a practice day.... Learned from experience, stretch it out more than enough.... Not only will it help you eliminate the regret the next day, but keep doing it through out the day and it will help you to keep it from getting stiff. Aside from that keep pushing it in rehab.... Dont let anything hold it from getting better... Good luck man...

[Khalid 171]

My MRA#is 716 Yellow backing(Novice)
I have trouble getting on the bike after a few days of not riding the knee is stiff but after a few miles the knee gets a little more flexible.
I can tell you that after an endurance race or long practic it is very hard to straighten my knee it takes almost 1min. before I can put weight on my leg. But the pain I endured through rehab helped cope with the pain after riding. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Come out to SCR next weekend & track me down.

Are you going to be at CDR next weekend?? I will try and track you down then. Right now I am at 110 degrees after stretching and working it out at the gym and that is really pushing on it hard to get to the 110 mark. I can barley sit on a bike with my knee bent right now and feel like I need a lot more to race. I am trying every day, but I am not sure if I will get much more. Hopefully I will. I would really like to talk with you about it and maybe even you can let me know what you were doing at the gym and I can try some of them. Let me know.

[Turtle]

My MRA#is 716 Yellow backing(Novice)
I have trouble getting on the bike after a few days of not riding the knee is stiff but after a few miles the knee gets a little more flexible.
I can tell you that after an endurance race or long practic it is very hard to straighten my knee it takes almost 1min. before I can put weight on my leg. But the pain I endured through rehab helped cope with the pain after riding. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Come out to SCR next weekend & track me down.

Are you going to be at CDR next weekend?? I will try and track you down then. Right now I am at 110 degrees after stretching and working it out at the gym and that is really pushing on it hard to get to the 110 mark. I can barley sit on a bike with my knee bent right now and feel like I need a lot more to race. I am trying every day, but I am not sure if I will get much more. Hopefully I will. I would really like to talk with you about it and maybe even you can let me know what you were doing at the gym and I can try some of them. Let me know.

I will be @ CDR this weekend so for sure track me down & we can talk about our war wounds. I will go over some of the exercize routines the PT had me doing.
Luckely they make adjustable rear sets so you can set it to where it feels better,a little lower & back from stock.
Also with time your leg will bend more I figure I have about 5deg more now than when I stopped PT.
Looking forward to meeting you.

Kevin

[Ytry2]

I have a question for any racers out there that have knee injuries. I blew out my ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL, Muniscus, and joint capsule last year. I have been in rehab the whole time. I can bend my knee about 115 degrees right now and might get it to 120 if I am extreamly lucky. Does anybody know if this will be enough to race?? I know it is a weird question but I really want to race, but I just don't know if I ever will be able to or not again. So if anybody can relate please help me out and let me know what my chances are. Thanks And hopefully one day I will see you guys out there again racing and not just watching.

after a car/bike accident i had my left knee rebuilt, MCL detached, Quadriceps tendon detached, patellar tendon detached, patella fractured and detached, LCL detached, Meniscus ripped and damaged, Articula cartilage damaged... Basicly my knee was held together by the ACL..

I won't lie here, it took almost 3 years to get 85 % of my range of motion back. I can now race with out my knee having that tight streached feeling. Adjustable rear sets help... After therapy.. go home and sit on your bike in riding/race posistion... it helped me.....
It has been 10 years now and i have 96% range of motion.....

Do NOT give up, you will have to retrain your knee to bend that far.. it hurts...It hurts like hell... If you can have some one help bend it at home... make it bend, get some one to come over to help you after you go home from therapy... make it your goal and mission