Diving with completely ruptured ACL

[ozanb]

Hi, everybody.
I'm a new diver, with a specific orthopedic problem, and need some information. Two years ago, during a soccer game, I've torn my ACL. Since my muscles and other ligaments are quite strong, I have no pain or problem in my daily life. I know, I can't play soccer or basketball in a competitive manner, but recently started diving. During courses and first dives, I didn't encounter any problem. However, now I feel my knee a little harder. This may be a positive result of activating my body, because it's not a painful or uncomfortable feeling. It's like first days of body building. On the other hand, I know that joints are crucial parts of body when it comes to divind and DCS. I would appreciate any information about effects and risks of scuba diving with a torn ACL.

 

[Burke]

Welcome to the board, and welcome to scuba diving, I can't help you with your question but I can suggest that you might have more luck if you ask it in the medical forum. We have some really helpful doctors here but I am not sure how many of them read the introductions forum.

 

[TCDiver1]

Originally posted by ozanb
Hi, everybody.
I'm a new diver, with a specific orthopedic problem, and need some information. Two years ago, during a soccer game, I've torn my ACL. Since my muscles and other ligaments are quite strong, I have no pain or problem in my daily life. I know, I can't play soccer or basketball in a competitive manner, but recently started diving. During courses and first dives, I didn't encounter any problem. However, now I feel my knee a little harder. This may be a positive result of activating my body, because it's not a painful or uncomfortable feeling. It's like first days of body building. On the other hand, I know that joints are crucial parts of body when it comes to divind and DCS. I would appreciate any information about effects and risks of scuba diving with a torn ACL.

Have been diving with torn ACL & PCL for over twenty years. It's really no prob at all if you limit the power you fin with. I have no pain at all if i don't push it & (this is key) kick from the hip, not the knee, as most were trained in OW class. Keep your knee as straight as is comfortable & smoothly kick down, your body will naturally rotate in the opposite direction of your kick. This has the additional benefit of taking less effort & therefore you consume less air .... a good thing right?

Dude i feel for you, a torn ACL can really change your life. I know it did for me. But it's not all bad! I would probably not be as active a diver today had i not blown mine out. Diving can be as gratifing as any sport i participated in prior to blown ligaments. And here's to recontructive surgery! I'm finally looking to get mine repaired now that the technology gives you much better odds of successful repair.

 

[BillP]

Howdy ozanb:

With any medical condition and diving you need to answer two questions:

1. How will diving affect the conditon?
2. How will the conditon affect diving?

For #1 and an orthopedic injury, a diver needs to be concerned about how lifting heavy gear, straining against a current when finning, etc. will put stress on the injury. The orthopedic surgeon helping to care for the injury is the best person to ask about what limits there are on activity.

Now for #2. Limitations set in #1 can affect diving. Will the diver need to arrange for someone to schlepp their gear for them? Will they need to don and doff gear in the water to avoid stress on the injury? Do they need to avoid current or other "questionable" conditions that might stress the injury? Is the injury significant enough to compromise the diver's ability to respond to an emergency (there own or their buddy's)? Also, if there is pain from the results of the injury it could mimic a decompression injury (although unlikely to cause a decompression injury). Etc.

Answers to these questions are very individual and cannot be specifically assessed for any particular person on an Internet message board. Unfortunately the only reliable answer you can get here is, "It depends". Divers who need specific medical information should seek the advice of their own personal physician perhaps with DAN's help.

Hope this helps,

Bill

 

[Padipro]

I dove for several years with a torn ACL. In my case it was a little painful but I wasn't about to give up diving just because of a little pain. It did however change my life, no more softball and very little running, I even had trouble riding a motorcycle. After about 3 years of living with it I decided to do something about and had the surgery to repair it. WHAT A DIFFERANCE. The pain went away, no more wobbley knee, and no fear of it going out. I was back to full strength in 3 months and running 4 miles again in no time with no pain. If you want to try the surgery find yourself a good Orthopedic Surgen, one that works on the big time sprots figures and see what they can do for you. I'd say it was well worth the down time to get it repaired.

 

[Ranz]

I work in Surgery as a Registered Nurse, and Orthopedics is my specialty. I have done many ACL reconstructions, and I have seen that you can do unnessecary wear and damage to other parts of the knee and cartlidge if the problem is not fixed. I wont lie, ACL reconstruction is painful, and you must do rehab after surgery, but the benifits are well worth the couple of days of discomfort. If you do not know what Ortho doctor to see, then visit your hospital, and ask to speak with the nursing staff of the operating room, they can point you to the best surgeon. Hope this helps!
Ranz

 

[mddolson]

I have no ACL, It was removed (sacrificed as they say) as part of a TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT. My surgery was in February, I had physio-theorapy from March to June, 1hr, 3 days a week.

I find no difficulty diving, my quad strength is only back to about 70% so my biggest challenge is climbing up the ladder on the dive boats. (or any ladders for that matter.)

Mike D

(xrays attached)

 

[ladycute1]

I agree wholeheartedly with with Dr. Bill's advice of 'it depends' --though I will admit that I have no ACL or PCL in either knee.... and it certainly doesn't stop me from diving.