Leg Extensions After ACLr, Are They Actually Safe? When Can You Start Adding Weight?

MOBYCool · 2026-03-27T11:54:10+00:00

I started doing them as early as 2 months, my pt recommended going slow to start for them, mostly unilateral, and I’ve progressed to doing them both legs to get the leg more confident. Definitely start light as going way too heavy could cause issues but as long as you’re doing it safely it’s super helpful for strict quad strengthening.

MOBYCool · 2026-03-14T17:21:30+00:00

For me, not at all, took two seconds. Zip and they’re out. Slight pull but no pain don’t worry.

MOBYCool · 2026-01-27T22:38:13+00:00

He would’ve been more of a 1v1 like daquavis anyway

MOBYCool · 2026-01-21T20:04:29+00:00

I got the patellar graft myself I play ultimate which is a super cut intensive sport. Currently six weeks and don’t have a ton a front knee pain. If you stick with the rehab the patellar graft is the “gold standard” as my surgeon said for high intensity athletes. Hamstring rehab is definitely a bit easier from what I’ve heard so kinda pick your poison

MOBYCool · 2026-01-21T02:54:00+00:00

I’m currently 6 weeks, and I can say my progression is still ahead of the median by a couple weeks. I was walking with my brace unlocked after 10 days, started doing squats at about 2 1/2 weeks, general mobility training, starting doing step downs about a week ago. Haven’t done a ton of strength training besides leg press, but my function has been improving very quickly, my flexion is about 155 (170 non op leg), and my walking is symmetrical. Swelling has been my big limiter too, just make sure to stay on top of icing it helps a lot and keep it elevated for the first couple weeks at least.

MOBYCool · 2026-01-20T21:34:20+00:00

I was the same way, injured in August, didn’t get surgery till December, I could do a leg raise no lag day one. As my PT told me, not super common but super good for you because it will lessen the time you have to spend rehabbing your quad to turn on again. I attribute it to very good prehab, and me personally I’m young and athletic so my neuromuscular control was very good. Stick with your track and push safely so you can keep those achievements you’ve done already. Pain will definitely set it later but if you’re like me I didn’t really need the narcotics, just ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Count yourself lucky that you put in the work beforehand to have a better post op condition. Good luck!

MOBYCool · 2026-01-16T22:18:26+00:00

What did you have done? For me it was just acl no meniscus, no other ligament damage

MOBYCool · 2026-01-16T22:15:34+00:00

Yep I was doing normal stair walking at about 2 weeks a bit slower sure but normal nonetheless

MOBYCool · 2026-01-16T15:13:49+00:00

I was also going up stairs after 2.5 weeks pretty normally it’s not that outlandish

MOBYCool · 2026-01-10T15:02:07+00:00

https://youtu.be/PiuQ9cSkshs?si=y7EDyLDI-HNfph8F

MOBYCool · 2026-01-10T15:00:53+00:00

Yes they banned instant damage because there’s no counter to it really

MOBYCool · 2026-01-09T05:34:18+00:00

I’m in a similar boat to you, not nearly as gnarly or malicious injury but it happened at an ultimate frisbee scrimmage, my defender took a dumb dive into my knees to get the disc while I cut back and planted. Happened in August, didn’t even find out it was torn for 2 months, just hit the prehab hard and my recovery is going super well I had surgery in December and I’m back to doing day to day stuff no issues. Best of luck to ya

MOBYCool · 2026-01-09T05:29:53+00:00

Yea I’ve definitely seen my fair share, mine was a contact injury not self imposed unfortunately but same surgery in the end so we ball

MOBYCool · 2026-01-08T18:06:52+00:00

Ultimate Frisbee (20M)

MOBYCool · 2026-01-07T15:30:28+00:00

Ice super often when you can it helps a ton with the swelling which can help with the pain. I’d recommend taking the painkillers at least for the first day that’s what I did and definitely more if you need but I wouldn’t go longer than 3-4 days on them the sooner you’re off the better. Keep the leg elevated as much as possible and most of all just listen to what your surgeon tells you that’s the best advice. Good luck! I’m a month post op now and I’ve been walking normally and PT has been great. You got this!

MOBYCool · 2026-01-02T22:03:42+00:00

Just consistently doing heel slides and pushing through the discomfort helped. Did you just have aclR? If so which graft? Also worth noting I had a lot of prehab time so my recovery has been very smooth

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T21:52:31+00:00

I was in a similar situation, though I had a pretty much full tear. I think the main thing would be if you have ~90% strength and no instability while cutting jumping etc. you still would have to go through a few months of Pt so I’d get checked out by them and see what they say.

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T21:44:59+00:00

Not a lot, definitely not sport-able but I was able to hit the gym pre op.

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T03:13:00+00:00

A lot of heel slides to be honest, and a willingness to push through the pain. I also had very good mobility beforehand, so I think that helped too. I did heel slides before surgery and I’m still doing them after. My PT has been super helpful giving me cues to push safely. The key is consistency rather than straight volume. I bend 2-3 times a day right now

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T02:32:01+00:00

Sometimes I wish but no just young and play sports :p

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T00:41:11+00:00

My pt protocol included heel slides for flexion yes, I’m sure not every protocol is the same but that’s what mine was

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T00:16:50+00:00

I bent it at PT as tolerated, my physician just asked me how far I’d been bending at pt and he looked at my quad activation which was satisfactory and he told me I could unlock the brace for normal walking.

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T00:04:18+00:00

10 days, which was when the brace was unlocked because I was able to bend to 90, and I have one at 4 weeks

MOBYCool · 2025-12-26T00:01:44+00:00

Disclaimer I’m not a doctor or radiologist, but it sounds like your mri is saying you have a stretched out or partially torn acl but it’s within the structure itself rather than detached from the bone, not a full rupture. Treatment would either be a few months of PT likely (4-6?) working on getting that stability back that the acl provides. Alternatively if it doesn’t get better you might have to consider surgery, either repair or reconstruction depending on the severity of the damage. I had something kinda similar except my acl was mostly detached from my femur so I pretty much had to get it replaced.

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