Female athletes ACL injuries

Here is a video from youtube.com about female student-athletes and A.C.L. injuries

ACL injuries in female soccer players

My knee problems started back in high school when I first tore the A.C.L. of my right knee playing soccer, at age 16. Since then I have read and heard about many more injuries to young female athletes. Especially knee injuries. I was given this article by a friend last year and was both fascinated and saddened by the findings.
The story of Janelle is similar to my own. I started playing soccer at age 4 and was playing on a traveling competitive team by age 8. I played on a competitive club team as well as started on the varsity soccer team in high school all four years. You could say I follow the idea that I am a girl "who believes they are as capable and as tough as any boy."

The part of the article I find to be most intriguing is that "the nature of both [Janelle's] A.C.L. injuries — occurring, as they did, without contact and seemingly in the absence of any extraordinary circumstances — is the very thing that perplexes A.C.L. researchers. It takes 2,000 Newtons (a measure of force) to rip an A.C.L. apart. The mystery is why a knee works properly for many years — through game after game, practice after practice, long season after long season, for tens of thousands of repetitions — and then, without warning, a tiny but crucial component suddenly malfunctions." Prior to my first A.C.L. tear I was in the best shape of my life. It was the summer before my senior year in high school which is THE crucial recruiting time for any player interested in playing soccer in college. I was in outstanding shape and ready to be seen by college recruiters who I had already been in contact with. In July I was at a tournament in Colorado, chasing after a ball where I planted wrong and heard that infamous "snap". Every female soccer player fears the letters A-C-L and they all know (without their own experience) that the "snap" means trouble. This article spoke to me, and made me realize that I am not alone and that there are many other young women out there who have experienced, or will experience, the same injury I did.

I often get asked the question "If you knew then what you know now, would you have changed anything? Would you have quit playing soccer?" My answer is always the same "there is no way you could have stopped me from playing soccer". I do not regret my decision and feel that although I have been through quite a long road of knee injuries and surgeries over the past 12 years, I am a stronger person now and the path since my first A.C.L. injury has lead me to where I am today, and I am happy.

Carticel Surgery - one man's diary

I stumbled upon this blog (Jim's bionic knee) a few months ago and felt as if I was reading from my own post-surgery diary (if I had kept one). He uses phrases that I have uttered word-for-word during my rehab. If anyone is thinking about having the ACI surgery here is a great overview of everything about this surgery, from the patent's perspective. In hindsight I wish I had followed through with keeping a journal of my rehab. It's hard to believe it's been 9 months since my surgery. I will say again that I have no regrets about my decision to go through with this surgery. My life had gotten to a point where simple daily activities were made harder because of the chronic pain I had. While I am not 100% back to "normal" yet I feel much better than I had before the surgery and know that I will continue to feel better. I did not have a goal of going back to soccer, rugby or triathlons but am looking forward to the next 50 years of my life and instead of saying "I had a total knee replacement at 35-40" I can say...I had this über cool surgery where they grew my own cells to make new cartilage and fixed my knee." (yes I do plan on using the word "über" when I'm 80.)

After surgery - scar treatment

I personally subscribe to the idea that scars give you something to talk about and are a sign of your past. I take pride in my scars (mainly because they tell a story). Some great do's & dont's from a fitnessmagazine.com article are listed here: DON'T expose new scars to the sun. Ultraviolet rays can slow the healing process and, since they stimulate melanocytes (the cells that produce pigment), can cause dark discoloration. When you're outdoors, always slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. to try: Neutrogena Healthy Defense Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30 and L'Oréal Ombrelle Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30. DO gently massage the mark once the surface is completely healed. "Massage helps break down the dense bands of collagen that attach to underlying tissue—a common reaction to cesarean sections, appendectomies or hand wounds," notes Robert Bernard, M.D., a plastic surgeon based in White Plains, New York, and president-elect of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Once skin has grown over the site, gently massage the area with lotion in a circular manner for 15 to 30 seconds a few times a day. Another preemptive strike: Apply Mederma*, a nonprescription ointment that contains onion extract, which has been shown to inhibit the formation of collagen.

DON'T treat with vitamin E. Despite what your grandmother may have told you, vitamin E has been shown in a University of Miami study to impair wound healing. (In addition, one-third of the patients tested also developed an allergic reaction.)

DO ask your physician to remove external stitches before they leave "track" marks. To prevent those little bumps that form on either side of the incision and become permanent reminders, Dr. Bernard routinely removes stitches after a week. (full article online at fitnessmagazine.com)

*For my first ACL surgery in 1997, I used Vitamin E capsules. I would pierce a whole into the tiny capsule and use the pure Vitamin E oil on my scar. The above information suggests NOT to do this, but I had no negative reaction to this treatment. I don't recall putting anything on my scar from my 2nd ACL surgery besides lotion, and that scar has healed just fine. It is a relatively thick scar (maybe a 1/4 inch wide) but it is not discolored at all. For my most recent ACI surgery, since my scar is 6+ inches in length I decided to be more proactive in my scar reduction efforts. I have been using Mederma (not as often as is suggested) since my doctor gave me the OK. I have been happy with it, but agree with several online reviews that it is a bit pricey for a small amount. I will also agree that a small amount goes a long way. I have two tubes, one at home and one at work. I do try to apply it with some regularity and I am now almost 9 months post op and I still have a decent amount in both tubes. I think the most important feature of Mederma is that you are applying a nourishing substance and massaging the scar multiple times a day, which helps breakdown the scar tissue underneath the scar, which is crucial.

The Carticel procedure

The best resource for information on the Carticel procedure is at the Carticel Website. For a great video describing the process of implantation click on the image below to be taken to the full video.

Is Carticel right for you?

The answer to the above question for some people is, no. Click the image below to take the Carticel.com quiz:

Carticel Video

Here is a news report from Maryland explaining a bit about the Carticel procedure.