At age 41, I was told I "ruptured" my PCL and tore cartilage in my knee (10 years ago). After arthroscopic surgery (the ligament was NOT replaced) and PT, I was eventually able to walk without pain. The ortho (who retired just a few years later) said that "eventually" I would need to have my knee replaced. From time to time, it feels like the knee slips and bone rubs against bone until slips back into place.
This summer my car was t-boned by a city bus. Among my injuries, I had a large, deep abrasion on my knee and had to get an MRI to determine if there was internal damage to the knee. The Orthopedist looked at the MRI films and said my PCL is still there, just "stretched out," there is also torn cartilage and bone spurs, and that I will probably need to have reconstructive surgery (after PT) once the outside abrasion heals. Walking isn't as painful because there is still a significant area of numbness in the knee, but some feeling has returned. So after three months, although there are still hematomas on the front/right side of the knee, the abrasion is almost healed, so now I need to take the next step. What does knee reconstruction entail? Does it require preparatory PT? Are there exercises I can do? What is the recovery time? Time required to be off work?
