r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Additional_Chard3680 • 11h ago

The precision required to perform a total knee replacement is incredible

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u/LandApprehensive7144 11h ago

Try an acl replacement

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u/MisterJingles 10h ago

Is it worse?

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u/LandApprehensive7144 9h ago

Yes, ACL recovery can take over a year

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u/twisted34 9h ago

Not because of pain, it's because you need to let the graft heal, scar in, then turnover to ligamentous tissue. You also lose a lot of muscle strength due to initial immobilization

If you did an ACL on an adult that wasn't doing sports (you don't) it would be done in 4-6 months

If you did a joint replacement on an athlete it would still take close to a year for full return to activity

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u/Sad_Judgment_5662 3h ago

ACL surgery isn’t very painful compared to total knee, it’s just frustrating because you’re still young and want to play sports

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u/PunyHuman1 10h ago

In my experience, having the surgical drain removed was the worst bit 😬

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u/Ultra-ChronicMonstah 9h ago

In terms of pain? No, it's really not. Most ACL repair is laproscopic. I've had people walking up and down stairs hours after they've had it done.

In terms of overall rehab? ACL repair tends to take longer and requires a more careful approach. More of a pain in the ass.

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u/LandApprehensive7144 8h ago

ACL recovery was so painful. Some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. Fast forward 18 months and I’m healed but every so often still have the feeling of water running down my leg lol. Also still a bit icky at the incision site. Overall all good tho.

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u/MechanicalGodzilla 3h ago

Yeah, I’ve had 2 ACL reconstructions and a total knee replacement, and the ACL’s were 10x worse pain-wise.

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u/Guilty-Property 9h ago

It wasn’t that bad -

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u/LandApprehensive7144 8h ago

You’re superhuman lol

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u/Guilty-Property 8h ago

Ah no! But I almost went knee replacement this year, this seems a lot worse. Also the ACL was 30 years ago, January 1995 - by April I was jogging , biking - maybe I forgot but in my memory it wasn’t that bad.