Post ACL surgery therapy

[Licensed]

I got ACL surgery for my left leg where they used my own hamstring tendon from the same knee to replace the ACL. I believe the ACL itself is now 100% fused and healed, and maybe stronger than the original. My problem is this clicking which happens about every other step I take. I dont know exactly where it comes from, and it does not hurt but does bother me.



I believe my problem is uneven tension on the sides of my knee, causing a tracking problem. I notice a big difference in the size of the "inner band" right behind my left and right knees (best felt when you flex your leg in). The picture above illustrates this.

There is a big possibility that strengthening this "band" to a size equal to my right/healthy knee will fix my problem. My question is, what muscle is this "band" im talking about and what type of exercises will strengthen it? Thanks.

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[alophysio]

Hi Licensed...

The band that you are talking about ARE the tendons taken - there are 4 that come in thru there and 2 are usually taken for your Hamstring graft operation - usually semi-tendinosis and gracillis but the actual operation depends on the surgeon and style and technique and choice etc etc.

Sometimes the clicking is from healing - you don't state how old the operation is - but sometimes it is the stump that is sometimes left behind for bloodflow reasons that can be clicking.

Many things click in the knee...best to get it checked out to see what is causing it.

Cheers

[Licensed]

Thank you for your response. It has been 2.5 years so it has done all the healing it will do, which is why im starting to worry. I now see that those "bands" are gone forever haha. That is part of the issue, as I can feel its missing and it gets overworked more easily than my right leg. Can I ask for more information on this "stump" left behind for bloodflow?

Thanks.

[alophysio]

Not much more to add other than you should check with the surgeon to see if that is the case. I once had a patient who had to have minor surgery to clear the stump because it got in the way... an uncommon complication in my experience but others may have a different story.

Just get stronger - if you feel you are uneven, you probably are and need advice on what is causing it. Don't restrict your thinking to only the hamstrings...for example in my own legs, I have my medial calf as being much more developed than my lateral calf but that is for a combination of reasons ultimately leading to a problem in the neck. When i "correct" my neck with a special "cue" - in other words use the right muscle, i can feel the presure in my feet change and the tension even out in my legs with much less being thru the inside of my feet.

Let us know how you get on

CHeers

[Licensed]

Thanks again, and I will definitely follow your advice.