BC skiing without an ACL

Jason could tell you all about it.  cascadecrusades.org, TAY username "Jason_H."

One of the few things I'd change if I had a "way-back" machine would be to get my ACL fixed in 1992.  I ski fine without it.   I no longer notice that it's gone, but I'm convinced that my backwoods career will be foreshortened by knee issues.  I had periodic pain for about a decade from certain movements or relax/contract cycles or jarring impacts.   I compensated by skiing more muscularly and by braking on downhill runs with my other leg (which developed it's own knee issues from doing all the work).  Telemark skiing resulted in less frequent knee dings.  When I'd experience the knee pain, it was sometimes sharp and brief, sometimes dull and lasting.  It was a constant irritation.  I don't know why, but the frequency of the pain experience dropped from several times a day to once a month to never over the course of a decade and now nearly 20 years out I only think about it when prompted.

Snow_Crystal,

What did you end up doing? Surgery Y/N?

Blew my ACL three weeks ago. The Ortho is recommending a brace and thinks I should be able to ski again in +/- a month.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a brace? Ossur/CTi, Townsend? Looking for something that will be good to tour with. Currently skiing with Scarpa Maestrales.

Thanks.

I have a blown out right knee from playing high level soccer in University never got it fixed as my career was pretty much over. I have been skiing hard on it with a rigid knee brace for 10 years. Key for me has always been cycling. The moment I stop riding a lot the stability goes pretty quickly.

I am not scared to ride without the acl. In fact I find it harder sometimes to ski resort in challenging conditions because of the lack of foreaft support blowing through crud.

There are some champions out there! Skiing without ACL's! What great pain that must be from time to time. My 2 cents: if i blew my acl and had the means to get it fixed, i would do it. ACL's these days are done under 1 hour and you are as good as new. Also the instability can lead to other things; torn meniscus, strained ligaments just to name a few.

Surgery........except for financial reasons (if you don't have insurance) I there is no other reason not to get surgery. Cascaderider says it all if you ride without one.