swollen knee after acl op.

[player3]

i had my first acl operation in september08 and also had cartilage removed. i ruptured my acl again in september 09. i had it operated on again in november 09. its now 6 months and i am having trouble getting rid of the a little bit of swelling on the outside and inside of my knee. i ice it at least once a day and try as much as possible to ice it twice but it still remains the same.

i dont know if this is related but i am also having trouble building up my quads and my vmo. i go to the gym twice a week and train with my football team twice a week and still cannot strengthen these muscles.

does anyone have any ideas about what could be wrong? i was intending to return to competitive games shortly but im a bit tentative because of the lack of strength in the quad and vmo

[Heidi]

Hi
The remaining swelling could be inhibiting the quad muscles, especially VMO. Is it definately firing when you contract the quads?
What does your strengthening program involve?
Do you wear a compression bandage to help reduce swelling?

[player3]

yeah it is firing when i contract my quads. i am basically doing the usual stuff, ie squats, leg press, lunges, leg extension, step ups. the strength seems to be there but there is no real bulk and it looks alot smaller than my good leg.
i had been wearing a compression bandage but it was having no effect so i only wear it now when im running just forr a bit of stability. someone had mentioned that i might be suffering from patellofemoral syndrome but im not sure.

[Heidi]

Hi again
You haven't mentioned any pain in the knee, so if this is right then PF syndrome is unlikely. This is characterised by a pain at the front of the knee.
If there is no pain and if the strength is slowly improving then I wouldn't worry too much about the minor swelling or the lack of muscle bulk. Provided you are slowly increasing reps and weights then the muscle will be strengthening, it may just take time for the bulk to reappear.

[player3]

i sometimes get a bit of pain on the medial side just were the tibia and femur meet but usually only happens on uneven surfaces and it doesnt last long so i wasnt really bothered with that. thanks for your help heidi. im thinking of doing contact training for the first time in a week or 2 do you think it would be safe?

[Heidi]

Have you done full non-contact training?
With full speed running and quick changes of directions etc?
If there was no problem with this then yes you should be ok to start at least partial contact. Just make sure your team mates are aware and go easy on you to start with! Don't push yourself too hard to begin with.

[shane]

i think you have to contact the doctor who operated you knee, he will better prescribe you the medicine .