Partial ACL tear solution

[Dolores]

I cant any weight on the injured knee for more than 10 minutes without feeling an uncomfortable stretch in the back muscles just wondering if this because my back is compensating for the lack of support from the knee joint....I ve been going through this disabling condition for the past 10 months,,,I was running and somehow ended up with a very strange left knee injury. I never fell so I must have just stepped wrong or hyperflexed the ligaments,,,its been hell though I lost complete support on that joint feels very unstable kinda mushy and it looks like my back is now compensating,,,2 orthopedists said theres nothing wrong with my knee and recommended me to do physical therapy to strengthen the quads buttocks and hamstring muscles but it has not been very effective for me on the contrary it just makes the interior of the knee hurt a lot more i might have injured the pcl or acl,,,,im gonna see one next week hopefully Ill be able to get another mri to figure out whats wrong...I just stay positive trying not to overdo it and being patient...but the reality is that this injury sucks...does anyone know how long it takes to heal if it can actually heal on its own...or would it be better to get a knee joint replacement ,ligament reconstruction or an above the knee amputation? i know how drastic all these alternatives sound but Im just so confused....is it just a very slow healer?

[syamir]

Hi guys,

i'm 22 and a very active sportsmen.. i play rugby (club level), football/futsal (college level) and tennis/badminton (occasional)..

He asked me to do some self physio such as cycling and swimming for rehabilitation. a need for immediate surgery was not neccesary in late nov 2011 i partially torn my ACL at rugby training while i was side stepping.. went to see the specialist & got myself an MRI scan.. the doctor confirmed that it was a partially torn ACL..

an immediate surgery isnt necessary.. since i'm still doing my internship, the specialist gave me time to regain strength and rehab my knee before the next check-up.. if there is still signs of instability, a full reconstruction may be required.. after 2 months of occasional swimming, cycling & weights training, i do have full motion of my knee but it still hurts at times..

My questions are:
1) can anyone define "instability"?
2) is there much benefit of "arthroscopy"? *arthroscopy: trimming out the torn portion
3) after rehab, the chances of turning a partial tear into a full tear is there. does strapping tape help in anyway during sports?
4) after a complete reconstruction, does the possibility of the same injury increase, maintain the same or decrease? Is the new ACL stronger, the same or weaker than the original ACL?
5) trough the thread, there are contradictions between PTs and patients.. PT says use what u hv left (use it until fully torn with possibility of MCL injuries as well), patient says straight reconsruction.. can anyone verify who to follow?

hope someone can help out.. really want to get back on to the field.. a young man that really wants to get back on his feet..