Month 10 post op was another grind. I felt so close and really pushed myself physically as hard as I could this month. During month 10, I was still lifting weights only on my left leg, and I was really zoning in on plyometrics, agility, and ball work. At the end of this month, I went back to my surgeon in hopes it would be my final follow-up appointment. In this post, I detail my tenth month post-op, including my progress and new exercises.
For a full breakdown of my injury and surgery, head to this post.
How I Felt Month 10 Post Op
During this month, I was really zoned in on making progress. I was absolutely set on getting cleared during my follow up at the end of the month. I did notice a difference in my power/explosiveness, and just hoped it would be enough. There were some days that I did not feel confident and was really concerned I would not get cleared, but overall I was just focused on working as hard as possible and giving it everything I had. A couple of times during this month, I practiced and improved at the functional tests, but I did still feel like I had a ways to go before I would be near 100%.
How My Knee Felt During Month 10 Post Op
I still felt a difference in my leg/knee when I did really explosive movements. I was managing my patellar pain with massage, heat, and tape. In many situations, I did not notice my knee anymore. I did not need to ice or elevate on a regular basis.
Major Events
- Did the Y-balance test, SL hop, SL triple hop, and SL crossover hops for my functional testing.
- My left leg was above 90% of my right for all of the exercises except for one.
- Cleared! My surgeon cleared me to begin the return-to-sport protocol at 10 months post-op. She ordered me 6 more weeks of PT and said I could start transitioning to playing.
10 Months Post-Op Exercises
Focus: The main focus for this month was power, agility, soccer ballwork.
Watch some of my exercises HERE
Strength
- SL RDL on one leg
- ISO step up
Soccer/Plyometrics
- Y sprint and speed/agility patterns
- Shuffle pause
- Sprint pause
- Dribbling fast
- Wall passing and moves
ACL Surgery FAQs- 10 Months Post Op
Could you run?
Yes, I could run at 5 months post op.
Could you sprint?
Mostly. I felt very close to my full speed.
Could you cut?
Yes, I started adding agility around month 8. I was much better at it, but still did not feel 100% confident.
Could you play?
No, I could not play contact sports. I was doing some non-contact soccer team training as well as individual ball work.
Did your knee hurt?
Not really. I did not experience much pain, swelling, or discomfort at this time. I was still battling anterior knee pain/ patellar tendonitis but it was manageable.
Were you cleared?
At month 10 post op, I got cleared by the surgeon to progress by to sports. I was not able to play 100%, but could start the process with 6 more weeks of physical therapy.
My Entire ACL & Meniscus Surgery Journey
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6
Month 7
Month 8
Month 9
Month 10
Month 11
Month 12