Video included in end of post…
9 months post ACL reconstruction and I’m trying to understand if what I’m feeling is normal muscle weakness/coordination or something more structural.
My surgeon examined me recently (1week ago) and said the ACL feels stable and that I should focus on strengthening. I can do BJJ drills, squats, side lunges, small jumps, normal walking, stairs etc. without major issues. Kinda off since i described the feeling and when it happens and he brushed it off as “you probably need more training”
Ill admit i didnt do the hardest of PT but my surgeon was actualy the one who told me to go conservative and gave me exercises to do at home.
But I still have this weird reproducible “jolt/buckle” feeling in the operated knee.
The best way I can describe it:
- if my leg is almost straight,
- relatively relaxed,
- and I put pressure through my toe / slightly rotate,
it feels like something inside the knee shifts for a split second.
Not a full collapse, more like a quick jolt or something clicking with each other inside the knee area.
What worries me is that i can reproduce it, and other leg feels much more firmer when trying to reproduce same issue.
A few things I noticed:
- More noticeable when fatigued
- harder to reproduce if I tighten my quad
- doesn’t really happen on my healthy leg
- my operated leg is visibly smaller/weaker, especially lateral hip/TFL/outer quad area
- side lunges and pivot-type positions make it more noticeable
No major swelling or locking.
Has anyone had something similar around 9–12 months post-op that improved with rehab/strengthening? Especially people who had obvious quad/hip asymmetry or neuromuscular deficits.
Trying to figure out whether this sounds more like lingering muscle inhibition/coordination issues vs something like residual rotational instability or meniscus issues.
Anyways, thanks in advance for any replies, all are welcome.
Video unstable after aclr