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So you tore your ACL. Now what?

play baseballplay baseball1,000+ posts
Yes, another offspring tore an ACL--this time a softball-playing daughter. A rising high school senior. Worst possible time, I think. It happened in April, playing in a high school game.

She has been able to continue to play on it, although I don’t know how. Her doctor didn’t initially think it was torn, but an MRI ordered last week showed a complete tear. Of course. The doc understands that she wants to finish out the summer softball season---and is allowing her to if she wears a sturdy hinged brace. He told her she must decide what was more important—the high school season or the fall “recruiting” season, and he will schedule the surgery accordingly. Unless she can’t and it will be done right away.

The dilemma:

Before she knew her ACL was torn, she signed up for a couple of camps at two D2 schools that she’d really like to go to. Does she tell the coaches that she is playing on a torn ACL? Would that immediately cause the coach to scratch her name off the list? Would the college not allow her to participate? No matter if she has surgery later this summer or into the fall, she should be healed by the college softball season. She still plays her position very well, diving for balls and running like a maniac. Again, I don’t know how, but the p.t. strength tests didn’t show much variance between the two legs. The physical therapist explained that because her legs are so strong, the muscles are holding the knee in place. But at a tournament game today, a hs coach in attendance wanted to know what was up with the shortstop—something appeared to be out of sorts. The hs coach wondered if it was the 110 degree actual temperature that was bothering her. Why would anyone think it was a torn ACL? I understand that coaches look at players in a way that most people don’t. It wasn’t obvious to me. And I was looking for any indication that she wasn’t good.

Or does she not say anything and hope for the best? How would she explain the brace? An old army injury?

Does this scratch all hopes of playing anywhere but a D3 school? The good thing is she is an excellent student and scored very well on the ACT and has an excellent GPA. Yes, I know that’s the important thing.

Please don’t yell at me and tell me I’m crazy for letting her continue to play. If the doctor (whom I trust) said no, then she would not. Thank you.
Last edited {1}
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L LAball1,000+ posts
This is not a baseball answer. First find a good physical therapist. interview them. The best is one that had a prior knee injury. Second is a PT that actually played sports. Check this out... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf-7cV_qqv4 and stuff similar to it, and make sure she has a tear. MRI do make mistakes.
I great Dr doing surgery and a poor PT = bad knee
I fair Dr with good PT = better knee.
good luck.
Last edited by LAball
M Matt1310,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by play baseball:
Yes, another offspring tore an ACL--this time a softball-playing daughter. A rising high school senior. Worst possible time, I think. It happened in April, playing in a high school game.

She has been able to continue to play on it, although I don’t know how. Her doctor didn’t initially think it was torn, but an MRI ordered last week showed a complete tear. Of course. The doc understands that she wants to finish out the summer softball season---and is allowing her to if she wears a sturdy hinged brace. He told her she must decide what was more important—the high school season or the fall “recruiting” season, and he will schedule the surgery accordingly. Unless she can’t and it will be done right away.

The dilemma:

Before she knew her ACL was torn, she signed up for a couple of camps at two D2 schools that she’d really like to go to. Does she tell the coaches that she is playing on a torn ACL? Would that immediately cause the coach to scratch her name off the list? Would the college not allow her to participate? No matter if she has surgery later this summer or into the fall, she should be healed by the college softball season. She still plays her position very well, diving for balls and running like a maniac. Again, I don’t know how, but the p.t. strength tests didn’t show much variance between the two legs. The physical therapist explained that because her legs are so strong, the muscles are holding the knee in place. But at a tournament game today, a hs coach in attendance wanted to know what was up with the shortstop—something appeared to be out of sorts. The hs coach wondered if it was the 110 degree actual temperature that was bothering her. Why would anyone think it was a torn ACL? I understand that coaches look at players in a way that most people don’t. It wasn’t obvious to me. And I was looking for any indication that she wasn’t good.

Or does she not say anything and hope for the best? How would she explain the brace? An old army injury?

Does this scratch all hopes of playing anywhere but a D3 school? The good thing is she is an excellent student and scored very well on the ACT and has an excellent GPA. Yes, I know that’s the important thing.

Please don’t yell at me and tell me I’m crazy for letting her continue to play. If the doctor (whom I trust) said no, then she would not. Thank you.


An ACL tear isn't a figurative death sentence anymore. It's better to be upfront and on the path to recovery instead of hiding it and having negative consequences ranging from poor performance to making it a permanent issue.
biggerpapibiggerpapi5,000+ posts
YOU ARE CRAZY FOR LETTING HER CONTINUE TO PLAY!!!!!!

Oh, sorry.

Seriously, I feel for you. Similar situation here but with a shoulder injury. Through that experience we found that honesty was the best policy.

Injuries are simply a fact of life in an athlete's life. Coaches and scouts know players are going to get hurt. They know doctors are capable of fixing those injuries.

As you well know, ACLs take some time to fix. I say, get it done and get back on the field as soon as you can. By now the college coaches are aware of what she can do.

Now, if this was your husband's ACL, they'd just take him out to the WOODshed and shoot him.
Last edited by biggerpapi
Bulldog 19Bulldog 195,000+ posts
quote:
Please don’t yell at me and tell me I’m crazy for letting her continue to play. If the doctor (whom I trust) said no, then she would not. Thank you.


Now first of all, I must. I believe you are crazy. I understand what you are saying, BUT the longer you wait the chances of poor LONG-TERM outcomes increase. I've addressed ACL injuries before here on HSBASEBALL and I've also written a couple of female-specific articles on my blog if you're interested.

Playing in a brace is obviously doable-- she's doing it now. She needs to continue to work on strengthening, proprioception, and biomechanics.

If you have questions, let me know..

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