Hamstring tear. Will I be able to ski again?

[dovski]

The Dr. I went to see 3 days after my injury took an xray and didn't see anything. I also had a cutting pain around my groin. He told me I could get an MRI but it probably wouldn't tell us anything different. I scheduled PT and figured it was just pulled. The knife like pain up by the groin area started getting worse and Dr. Google pointed to a possible adductor tear. I called the Dr. Office and explained to the nurse that the pain was getting worse. We scheduled the MRI and the notes by the radiologist said "full avulsion of all 3 tendons with 2 cm retraction". I gave the MRI disk and the notes to the nurse at my next appointment. The Dr. came in and said almost word for word what the notes said. We ruled out a torn adductor with some things he had me do in the office. Could not point out as to what the knife like pain could be.

I scheduled an appt. with a different Dr. Again, gave his nurse the notes and MRI disk. This Dr. also said word for word what was on the radiology notes and also could not tell me what the knife like pain could be.

I scheduled ANOTHER appt with a different Dr. but this time I handed over the MRI disk but withheld the radiology notes. The nurse asked me more than one time for the notes but was not going to hand them over until after the Dr. looked at the MRI and told me what he saw. This Dr. Saw 2 full tears and 1 tear that was about 95%. So the knife like pain I'm feeling is that 1 tendon hanging by a thread. This Dr. also had me feel for myself how I could tell the tendons were torn off. Sit down and have your upper and lower legs at about a 90 degree angle with your feet on the floor. On your good leg, feel the tension of the tendons at the back of your leg behind your knee. Now feel the tension of the same 2 tendons on your bad leg. If the tendons are torn from the Ischial Tuberosity, there will be little to no tension on your bad leg.

Lesson learned #1... An X-Ray will only show if a piece of the bone came off with the tendons. Will not show if you have a tear. (This is my understanding). Get the MRI to rule out a tear or avulsion.

Lesson learned #2... Do not give your Dr. the radiology notes. Give him/her the MRI disk and only share the notes after the Dr's. Assessment of the MRI.

I think you are missing the most important lesson here. Sports injuries require Sports oriented Dr.s who treat high performing athletes.

When my wife tore her ACL the first doc we saw suggested that because she was over 40 she might want to wear a brace and modify her activity for the rest of her life. I reached out to a Dr. I know who used to be the team doc for the Detroit lions and now is team doc for the Seattle Sounders. He set us up with the orthopedic surgeon he sends all his elite athletes and the experience was the complete opposite. From the first minute we were in his office he let us know that he would get back to peak performance and came up with a pre and post surgery PT strategy .... yes doing PT before surgery is important. He then walked us through his approach to the procedure and explained why he felt this was the best choice. Last but not least we were paired with the PT that both the sports physician and orthopedic surgeon partner with on pro athletes and we scheduled all of my wife't PT sessions for the next 6 months before we even had the surgery.

Bottom line is you need to do your homework and find the right medical team support you, pre, during and post surgery. We like to brag that it took Tom Brady 6 months recover from his ACL surgery and it only took my wife 5 months

 

[scott43]

Just kinda echoing what Dovski said..my folks' dog had a torn ligament...the country vet said put her down, why would spend money on a dog? The town vet said, we can fix that. So yeah, not to equate you with a dog..but many docs are just trying to get the average person back to semi-normal. We can do better..we can rebuild him... </steve austin>

 

[martyg]

Lesson learned #1... An X-Ray will only show if a piece of the bone came off with the tendons. Will not show if you have a tear. (This is my understanding). Get the MRI to rule out a tear or avulsion.

Lesson learned #2... Do not give your Dr. the radiology notes. Give him/her the MRI disk and only share the notes after the Dr's. Assessment of the MRI.

Bingo. Lesson #1 for sure. Without an MRI you know close to nothing.

Lesson #2: A top orthopedic surgeon would never repeat, verbatim, what is on the radiology report, but would use that to create an action plan and to explain it to you in language that you would understand.

Once you get your surgeon nailed down I'd seek out a really top notch PT. Ask them for a prehab schedule. You won't be able to do anything about that particular leg. However you nay be able to start to do things now that make surrounding, supporting structures more robust.

They may also be able to give you gentle isometrics to do post surgery. Those weeks immediately following surgery are key. By placing gentle stress on the repair collagen lays itself down in a way that creates a more robust repair. It orients to address the direction of load. Otherwise it lays down in a random fashion.

Keep in mind, only one leg is injured. You still have all if your other body parts to work. It sucks, but getting in the gym and working those other body parts, now and through all if your rehab, boosts circulation, testosterone, and HGH levels. It speeds recovery.

I have access to exceptional PTs through my wife and USOC. DM me if you want a referral. They would not likely be licensed to practice in your state, but they may know someone in your area.

Best to you.

 

[martyg]

I think you are missing the most important lesson here. Sports injuries require Sports oriented Dr.s who treat high performing athletes.

Bingo!

 

[BobBeau]

I think you are missing the most important lesson here. Sports injuries require Sports oriented Dr.s who treat high performing athletes.

When my wife tore her ACL the first doc we saw suggested that because she was over 40 she might want to wear a brace and modify her activity for the rest of her life. I reached out to a Dr. I know who used to be the team doc for the Detroit lions and now is team doc for the Seattle Sounders. He set us up with the orthopedic surgeon he sends all his elite athletes and the experience was the complete opposite. From the first minute we were in his office he let us know that he would get back to peak performance and came up with a pre and post surgery PT strategy .... yes doing PT before surgery is important. He then walked us through his approach to the procedure and explained why he felt this was the best choice. Last but not least we were paired with the PT that both the sports physician and orthopedic surgeon partner with on pro athletes and we scheduled all of my wife't PT sessions for the next 6 months before we even had the surgery.

Bottom line is you need to do your homework and find the right medical team support you, pre, during and post surgery. We like to brag that it took Tom Brady 6 months recover from his ACL surgery and it only took my wife 5 months

Not missing that lesson at all. First Dr. I went to was an Orthipedic and "Sports medicine Institute" but they missed something important or were just too lazy to look at the MRI. All 4 Dr's. I've seen want to put me in some sort of brace for 4 weeks which I think may prolong recovery. Not being able to put weight on or use the injured leg for 4 weeks will definitely cause muscle atrophy. I spoke with the PT I've used before and she said there are things we can do to at least maintain the muscle without putting stress on the hamstring.

 

[martyg]

Not missing that lesson at all. First Dr. I went to was an Orthipedic and "Sports medicine Institute" but they missed something important or were just too lazy to look at the MRI. All 4 Dr's. I've seen want to put me in some sort of brace for 4 weeks which I think may prolong recovery. Not being able to put weight on or use the injured leg for 4 weeks will definitely cause muscle atrophy. I spoke with the PT I've used before and she said there are things we can do to at least maintain the muscle without putting stress on the hamstring.

With, or without surgery your leg will be immobilized for some weeks. If you feel that you are in contact with the Best Source of the Truth, get on it sooner than later. The more you wait, the grwater the attrophy.

FYI at Steadman they can do stem cell injections into the injured tissue. It buys some recovery time.

 

[dovski]

Not missing that lesson at all. First Dr. I went to was an Orthipedic and "Sports medicine Institute" but they missed something important or were just too lazy to look at the MRI. All 4 Dr's. I've seen want to put me in some sort of brace for 4 weeks which I think may prolong recovery. Not being able to put weight on or use the injured leg for 4 weeks will definitely cause muscle atrophy. I spoke with the PT I've used before and she said there are things we can do to at least maintain the muscle without putting stress on the hamstring.

I guess my point is that you want to find the sports docs and surgeons who work with elite athletes, not just any old doc who specializes in sports. In this case you need to do some research to find the real deal, but it makes a huge difference. Same goes with PTs, the right PT will work with your doc on a regiment leading up to surgery that will improve the outcome and shorten the recovery time. Not all PTs do this so again important to find the PTs who work with elite athletes and team with your chosen doc.

 

[BobBeau]

I guess my point is that you want to find the sports docs and surgeons who work with elite athletes, not just any old doc who specializes in sports. In this case you need to do some research to find the real deal, but it makes a huge difference. Same goes with PTs, the right PT will work with your doc on a regiment leading up to surgery that will improve the outcome and shorten the recovery time. Not all PTs do this so again important to find the PTs who work with elite athletes and team with your chosen doc.

Yes sir. The local NFL Ortho surgeon will be performing the surgery. My December trip isn't happening but hopefully the recovery is smooth and will be back on the slopes by February.

 

[Gary Stolt]

Good luck Bob with recovery. I pulled a hamstring in April and then re-injured it in july, yes, water-skiing. I'm now starting to run a little. Leg is tender. It's difficult to know how hard to push to regain strength and stamina without re-injuring it again.
It is frustrating. I'm old,, wish I could turn the clock back.

 

[martyg]

Good luck Bob with recovery. I pulled a hamstring in April and then re-injured it in july, yes, water-skiing. I'm now starting to run a little. Leg is tender. It's difficult to know how hard to push to regain strength and stamina without re-injuring it again.
It is frustrating. I'm old,, wish I could turn the clock back.

Gary - re injury is unlikely. The repair site is likely very fibrous tissue.

However I hear you on the balance. I am playing that with my quad tendon now. Peer reviewed research suggests that when you increase traing volume, or intensity, by more than 20% per week, the occurance of injury increases exponentially. I've been using that guideline. When I go above it, my knee is janky, training, and growth are stalled. It is all about consistency.

Best to you.

 

[BobBeau]

Hi everyone! 1 week Post Op today. All 3 tendons reattached with anchors and sutures. Recovery is going well. I have to remind myself I just had surgery to keep from doing too much. Had 1 session of PT this past Friday and 2x per week going forward. Hopefully I'm not in this knee brace too much longer. Having to use crutches and a walker to get around is frustrating when I feel I could walk just fine without them.

 

[martyg]

Hi everyone! 1 week Post Op today. All 3 tendons reattached with anchors and sutures. Recovery is going well. I have to remind myself I just had surgery to keep from doing too much. Had 1 session of PT this past Friday and 2x per week going forward. Hopefully I'm not in this knee brace too much longer. Having to use crutches and a walker to get around is frustrating when I feel I could walk just fine without them.

Play the long game here Bob. Delayed gratification all the way. Best to you.

 

[Pequenita]

Hi everyone! 1 week Post Op today. All 3 tendons reattached with anchors and sutures. Recovery is going well. I have to remind myself I just had surgery to keep from doing too much. Had 1 session of PT this past Friday and 2x per week going forward. Hopefully I'm not in this knee brace too much longer. Having to use crutches and a walker to get around is frustrating when I feel I could walk just fine without them.

Stick to your surgeon’s and PT’s protocol. The last thing you want now is to feel good, stretch, and re-detach your tendons in week 2 when the protocol has you not doing the movements until week 5. Best wishes.

 

[Gary Stolt]

Gary - re injury is unlikely. The repair site is likely very fibrous tissue.

However I hear you on the balance. I am playing that with my quad tendon now. Peer reviewed research suggests that when you increase traing volume, or intensity, by more than 20% per week, the occurance of injury increases exponentially. I've been using that guideline. When I go above it, my knee is janky, training, and growth are stalled. It is all about consistency.

Best to you.

Thanks, gotta go slower than when I was a little younger. We just don't heal like we used to.

 

[martyg]

Thanks, gotta go slower than when I was a little younger. We just don't heal like we used to.

It probably has less to do with age, and more the nature of your injury. You are in a game of cell division, and on your cell's timeline. There are things that you can do to create an ideal environment for growth. However you dan't rush it, or cheat it. Dive into and enjoy the process. Everything worthwhile in life is about process. Best to you.

 

[Fuller]

Hi everyone! 1 week Post Op today. All 3 tendons reattached with anchors and sutures. Recovery is going well. I have to remind myself I just had surgery to keep from doing too much. Had 1 session of PT this past Friday and 2x per week going forward. Hopefully I'm not in this knee brace too much longer. Having to use crutches and a walker to get around is frustrating when I feel I could walk just fine without them.

Patience and perseverance!

 

[BC.]

MRI reading today (8 weeks from injury)

MRI results on knee are negative...no damage. Showed impact depression on knee where the 2 knee bones collided/but besides that...no structural damage to knee. Torn hamstring is healing nicely….

Moving forward I will continue to do PT another month to build strength/balance. Although I won’t feel normal until I can start my run training again.

Good news......mind is at ease. Bring on Winter!