Shaggy Knee story

I always thought I was lucky....for the last 20 years I have always played hockey for 6 months of the year (Sept-April). Very little has kept me from playing and my wife, Kate, and I even agreed it was a good release for me to get some time off at the weekend when the kids arrived. Basically Saturday became a write off whilst I travelled the globe (or home counties) with the glorious Oxford Hawks 4th XI. Training in the week never got in the way as we never did any. The only thing that troubled me was the odd muscle pull and astro burns.

Then in Feb 2008 everything came crashing down. On a family ski trip to Andorra I was innocently guiding my daughter Charlotte back down the slopes. She was 5 and she was skiing between my legs - very cute stuff and lots of fun - until we slipped on a patch of ice and my right leg went outwards and Charlotte fell onto it. Her body weight was on my knee and my binding didn't break - but instead my knee gave way with a slight popping sensation and then we fell. I got up and knew I had done something to my knee but could put pressure on it and we skied off again. That night I put ice on it as it was a bit swollen and we flew home the next.

I decided to rest hockey for a couple of weeks.

3 weeks later I went back skiing armed with a tubi grip and skied hard for 4 days without a problem with the exception of a mad dancing injury when my knee gave way as I was pogo-ing.

A week later I was having a muck around game of basket ball when I twisted and turned and got a knife sharp pain in the knee. But rubbing it better seemed to sort it out. I decided to see my GP about it in case and was referred to have an MRI which was inconclusive and I did a bit of physio and retrained gently.

Throughout the summer of 2008 I played the odd game of hockey or football and kept just nicking my knee.

In September 2008 in the first training game of the season I played a full 50 minutes hard-ish hockey and then when chasing for a ball I checked and turned direction at a good speed and my knee just went - sort of wrenching sound and a sensation that your leg has moved more than it should and then falling smack on the ground with explosive knee pain. Having studied knee symptoms in some depth now I think I can safely say that I ruptured my ACL. The knee swells instantly and stiffens quickly and is painful . I managed to drive home -just and get some ice on it and then went to the pub and found I couldn't move. In the morning I was driven to A&E and after an X-Ray proved nothing was broken I was sent away with a pair of crutches.

Luckily also playing that day was John Black and A&E specialist from the JR and he suggested I see a chap at the trauma unit at the JR called Richard Keys. Another MRI scan ensued but nothing conclusive showed apart from minor cartilage tears. The ACL was still intact but stretched and lax but difficult to pick up. I went away with a course of physio booked and advised to try and strengthen the leg again and see how things progressed. So off I went again and from October to December started to rebuild knee strength.

Frustrated at not playing hockey I decided to do an umpiring course to get me out but during the course of the practical I was jogging backwards when my knee went again. I was also having pain fully flexing the knee

So back to see Mr Keys and this time we agreed that an arthroscopy would enable him to investigate the knee better. So, in late January 2009 he had a good look around and nibbled away at a tear in my medial meniscus and also found that my ACL was completely 'floppy'.

The reluctance to operate straightaway and give physio a chance is standard stuff as there is a chance things will improve and invasive surgery I guess is not always best.

Mr Keys went through the options and suggested if I wanted a passive existence I could survive without the ACL but to play active sport again then the option was the ACL Reconstruction.

I had had a bit of scan through YouTube and found various clips showing surgeons with drills and chisels. More Black and Decker than key hole but success rate of 90% for a full recovery.

So we agreed to go ahead but in the meantime went on a family ski trip to Morzine in early April. Mr Keys confirmed that I might as well try this with a knee brace.

Having researched knee braces you soon discover that the range is wide and the ones recommended (Don-Joy) are about £400 for ACL sufficient ones. I did a bit more web reserch and came across physioroom.com and got a Don Joy ACL brace which was only £175 for a bit of neoprene, velcro straps and two bits of aluminum. With a week to go I proudly went to my phsio and showed her my prize purchase to be told it was not the right thing. But determined I decided I shoudl try it out and play in at least one game of hockey that season. I played 15 minutes, scored a goal and then got a bit more involved and turned my knee, so I guess the physio was right!

Skiing though was fine and I used the brace and had no problems.