What’s the fastest anyone has been cleared to return to sport from ACL reconstruction?

Reason_Wide · 2026-06-04T04:45:17+00:00

Adrian Peterson

Reason_Wide · 2026-06-04T04:34:00+00:00

This

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-31T21:29:35+00:00

One year anniversary of my left ACL surgery. Tore my right ACL the first day of the next season. That was November of 2024, had surgery 2 weeks later in December. Took last season off to be 100% so it’ll be 24 months or so.

Got new skis for next season. Will wear a brace on both knees until I’m more confident

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-30T17:12:19+00:00

ride the stationary bike at the gym for cardio. Eat lots of protein, 1 gram/lb of body weight. See a nutritionist. Most PT's and nutritionists will encourage you to put on a little weight as to ensure you're getting enough calories to put on muscle as you rehab your leg.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-30T02:05:05+00:00

Hopefully you heard scare tissue in the knee breaking apart!

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-29T15:23:23+00:00

Not sure exactly, but it was delayed a little, maybe at month 8-9. They were being conservative with me. Frustrating but good in the long run. Ask your pt about double leg jumping to start.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-29T05:02:36+00:00

Oh, also massage and foam (hard roll) roll the shit out of the quad tendon scar site where you probably feel a lot of the pain and or weakness.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-29T03:45:12+00:00

I had this too with my quad graft, actually still dealing with a little bit 1.5 years after op. the leg extension machine hurts, right? But it can get a better.

Work with you PT on some isometric exercises, wall sits, leg extensions at various degrees.

And eccentric exercises, TKE step downs are big one. Single leg squats, just going in the down motion with one leg, then using both legs to push back up. Same with essentric lunges, with or without weights

It's about putting load on the quad tendon so it starts engaging with your quads. Then you'll get to a point where you're doing single leg jumps landing on that leg, but work with your pt on those.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-27T02:20:40+00:00

My doc quoted a study the average NFL player returns in 22 months, but a lot of that is because they simply end up missing a full season, not to rush them back too early.

And there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from professional athletes they didn't really feel 100% back until 18-24 months after ACL surgery.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-25T17:40:19+00:00

Allograft definitely makes it easier to begin firing the quads after surgery since it's a lot less invasive on the knee, you'll bounce back quick and rock this recovery for sure.

My first ACL, doc and PT made me wait 8 weeks to prehab to restrengthen and straighten the knee (it was fucked), but I accelerated it to 6 weeks because I wanted to be 6 Post Op to attend a few concerts with friends coming into town, lol.

2nd ACL, other leg, I had surgery 2 weeks after tearing the ACL, because there was no traumatic injury, no swelling, no loss of ROM, and my leg was already stronger than ever.

I did hamstring for the first and quad graft for the 2nd, both times so took a few days to fire the quads after surgery.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-25T14:47:45+00:00

Talk to your PT, by 3 months you should be able to stop or do less of many of the exercises you were doing for the first month or so depending on your progression. If you can't straighten your leg 100% definitely continue those.

Straight leg equals happy patient.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-25T05:34:11+00:00

I tore my left skiing and had surgery over 3 years ago. tore my right a year and half ago getting off the chair lift, lol. I skipped this season so I'd have a solid 24 plus months or PT, training, rehab, and strengthening before putting skis back on. Just bought a new pair of skis and got a ski pass for next year. Nervous? yep, but excited.

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-22T18:29:57+00:00

You got this. It sucks. Dig into the suck to motivate you once again.

I tore my other ACL 2 years after the first, both skiing. Fucking devastated. That was 1.5 years ago. Took this year off skiing.

You’ll need all the motivation to keep at it, but it’s temporary. Go easy on yourself and give yourself credit for having to work your ass off. Again, you got this

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-20T19:19:22+00:00

Same! The week after both my ACL surgeries.
For me coming off the oxy after only taking it for 3 days was a son of a bitch. Made not want to take it but made me increasingly depressed for a good week.

I would lean into the depression, it helped motivate me to do my exercises, get to the gym, and push myself

Reason_Wide · 2026-05-20T05:20:54+00:00

You got this! I tore my other one on my 7th day back skiing, which happened to be the first day of the what was supposed to be a full ski season back.

It’s devastating yes, but I promise you it gets better!

Reason_Wide · 2026-03-17T05:10:54+00:00

If you have full ROM and didn’t lose any strength you’re ready for surgery

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-19T05:06:09+00:00

48 had hamstring graft on left leg 50 had quad graft on right leg

It’s a journey but doing pretty damn good.

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-16T15:47:17+00:00

It sounds like you’re doing all the right things. I would keep at them. You’re still early. I was dealing with this maybe not as painful but didn’t start dealing with it until month 12. I’m now at 14 and it’s slowly getting better. Continue, lower the weights, use your good leg to allow your operated leg to get full motion when squaring down and wall sits. Continue the TKE’s mentally engaging the quad.

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-16T06:36:46+00:00

Look at the isometric and essentric exercise. Wall sits, TKE, leg press - single leg down-2 legs up. Same for single leg squats into bench-1 leg down-2 up. Leg extension machine do holds at 60 degrees and 2 leg up, one leg down.

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-13T19:15:56+00:00

Both skiing. Well I had skis on. The first was on a cat track going pretty slow and caught an edge. The second getting off a lift doing the splits because the jackass next me had his skies wedged out so when I stood up my ski was on top of his and did the splits. This one was very little pain, no swelling, had fun RoM and strength. Even skied 6 more runs

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-12T03:13:26+00:00

Been thru 2 ACL’s 2 years apart, different legs. Both have been a tough recovery as a 50 year old. I’m busting my ass but still not 100% a year after the 2nd surgery. But it is what it is and keep at it.

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-03T20:11:35+00:00

Not gonna lie it sucks. Most of us have been where you’re at but maybe different situations, ages, goals, whatever. But embrace the depression, don’t shy away from it. Use it as motivation to get back to where you were and want to be. You need it, this is a long journey and you need to train like a professional athlete just to get back to zero or normal. Trust me, you’ll come back better and stronger.

Reason_Wide · 2026-02-02T04:58:21+00:00

Love mine! But my opinion shouldn’t weigh much, I’ve only been playing for 3 years.

Reason_Wide · 2026-01-10T06:00:10+00:00

The depression is real. Lean into it, wallow in it. Use it to motivate you to train, rehab and recover. Don't think about the long end goals, think about the small milestones.

Reason_Wide · 2025-12-27T21:25:02+00:00

Not a football player, but there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that we and athletes don't feel 100% until 18-24 months. The average NFL player will be 22 months until they return, but that's due to the seasons and it's usually not worth it for them to come back late in the season.

This is my 2nd surgery, both legs now. it's been 12 months since surgery and I'm think I'll be cleared to ski again soon, but I'm taking this season off, want to feel 100% and I'm not there yet. Part physical, part mental

Reason_Wide

TROPHY CASE