Quade Coopers Recovery

[Karl]

I searched and did not find a thread on this.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...er-giving-injury-the-boot-20120222-1to9q.html

QUADE COOPER has signalled a potential early playing return is on the cards as his recovery from injury continues ''very much ahead of schedule''.
The five-eighth was in an expansive mood at a promotional event in Sydney yesterday, buoyed by a single, niggle-free kick off his right foot - his first since a knee injury ended his World Cup campaign last year.
''I was a bit nervous, like taking your first steps, that was my first kick off my right foot, I kicked them all off my left and then did one off my right, and it felt sweet,'' he said following a kicking and throwing competition with Waratahs rivals Drew Mitchell, Rocky Elsom and Brendan McKibbin at Sydney Harbour.
''It feels great, so I'll be ringing the physio and saying I'm ready to start kick practice again this week.''
The 23-year-old refused to put a timeline on his return to the Reds' playing ranks but said his rehabilitation was going well.
''The whole regime is all starting to look towards an earlier comeback,'' Cooper said.
''I don't have a goal, I know there's been a lot of talk from Ewen [McKenzie] and the Reds of a date being like the Brumbies game, which is round six, but at the same time, I'm not setting a date and saying anything because I don't want to get my hopes up for a date … and it be put off a week or two.
''I'm just making sure that as soon as it feels right and I'm confident, then I'll get back out there and get amongst the boys.''
Last week, Cooper ran for the first time since the injury, to catch a flight. He completed about 1500m at training yesterday, pulling up ''really well''.
He called the lay-off a ''blessing in disguise'' and said he would return to the field a more ''complete player''.
''I want to be a better player throughout, not just be the same player that's there before,'' Cooper said. ''I'm not taking six to nine months off for no reason so, in that time, I want to work on the skill aspect of my game and the physical aspects of my game, so I want to be in a better physical position than I was and, mentally, be a lot tougher.''

I hope all that is right.

I have never had a knee injury like this or this type of surgery - what's the experience of those who have?

I would have thought mental confidence to step and run the way you used to would have been a big issue, and fear of contact. Quade does not need more issues in relation to fear of contact.

 

[spooony]

Do not think he needs to hurry back as he is not desperately needed yet. They manage to beat the 2nd strongest team in Australia without him so he can take his time

 

[daz]

I hear you spooony. Why would any team ever want one of their starting players back in a hurry?

 

[spooony]

I hear you spooony. Why would any team ever want one of their starting players back in a hurry?

You do not want to rush a knee injury. Plus the opposition is a bit weaker

 

[suckerforred]

I hope all that is right.

I have never had a knee injury like this or this type of surgery - what's the experience of those who have?

I would have thought mental confidence to step and run the way you used to would have been a big issue, and fear of contact. Quade does not need more issues in relation to fear of contact.

Knee injury - as long as he looks after it, does as he is told, and doesn't rush back then it shouldn't (touch wood) be an issue right up frount. Will become an issue futher down the track, and of course is now a weak point. Broken bones mend stronger, ligaments and tendons mend weaker in my experience.

Mental confidence thing - yep that is right. Big thing for him will be to get back to where he can do his magic feet thing without being concerned. That takes a long time and will be related to above.

Fear of contact - lucky it wasn't done in a tackle. He would never take one again.

 

[Karl]

I just get that "i can't look" feeling and wince like someone is poking me whenever I see video of him even going into that hop-skip-jink thing he used to do.

Like seeing pictures of Drew with his foot pointing the wrong way or those gazillion vids and pics online of sporting injuries. Hard to watch. Hard to look away.

I read up a bit about the techniques used to fix the injury and as the player, you'd just need to be able to convince yourself it's as good as new and not think anything else. Self hypnosis or maybe it would be better if as the athlete you just weren't real smart and everyone tells you you'll be as good as new and you just believe them.

Good to see him walking around and running and kicking a ball though. That seems like a VERY rapid recovery so far.

 

[suckerforred]

Good to see him walking around and running and kicking a ball though. That seems like a VERY rapid recovery so far.

And we know how Drew's rapid recovery progressed.

 

[MrTimms]

Talked to him the other day, he won't rush, says it is frustrating because it feels fine but he even cited Drew's RWC injury as a reason not to rush.

Tapatalked from my phone

 

[suckerforred]

Talked to him the other day, he won't rush, says it is frustrating because it feels fine but he even cited Drew's RWC injury as a reason not to rush.

Good to hear.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Broken bones mend stronger, ligaments and tendons mend weaker in my experience.

Mental confidence thing - yep that is right. Big thing for him will be to get back to where he can do his magic feet thing without being concerned. That takes a long time and will be related to above.

Fear of contact - lucky it wasn't done in a tackle. He would never take one again.

Now SFR I have a feeling youre in the medical industry so with some hesitation (but with both my ACLS reconstructed) I offer the following: they reckon (i.e. the doctors) that the repair is actually stronger than the original knee: that could be the sales pitch I guess. But the repair is done by replacing the ruptured ligament with harvested tendon - I think they're back to using the hamstring tendon: one of mine uses that and the other one the patella tendon. So its not like a rolled ankle where the damaged ligament repairs.

Neither of mine were done in contact and there is still a huge mental thing to overcome - even to run: the pros seem to get over this without too much trouble.

I can say that since mine were done 20+ years ago I have never been able to kick a ball without a niggle - so he's way ahead of me.

 

[tranquility]

. Broken bones mend stronger, ligaments and tendons mend weaker in my experience.

Ligaments do not actually grow back, instead of an ACL Quade now has a piece of hamstring tendon (20 cms) that has been placed into his knee to replicate the role of an ACL. Same as Benn Robinson, who has a successful return to the and has his surgery at the start of the WC whereas QC (Quade Cooper) had his at the end. Quade shouldn't be too far away.

 

[biggsy]

If cooper goes out to each game thinking that he could possibly hurt his knee again. Yes, he will never be the same player again. BUt this could also make a much better player in the future...

 

[Ruggo]

Good to hear the progress is good. Take your time and get it right. Harris getting more time at 10 has its positives for the whole squad also. I would prefer to see him come back off the bench anyways rather than rushed straight back into the first 15.

 

[suckerforred]

Now SFR I have a feeling youre in the medical industry so with some hesitation (but with both my ACLS reconstructed) I offer the following: they reckon (i.e. the doctors) that the repair is actually stronger than the original knee: that could be the sales pitch I guess. But the repair is done by replacing the ruptured ligament with harvested tendon - I think they're back to using the hamstring tendon: one of mine uses that and the other one the patella tendon. So its not like a rolled ankle where the damaged ligament repairs.

Neither of mine were done in contact and there is still a huge mental thing to overcome - even to run: the pros seem to get over this without too much trouble.

I can say that since mine were done 20+ years ago I have never been able to kick a ball without a niggle - so he's way ahead of me.

Have some medical experience/training yes, was an ambo for a while, but most of my experience comes from the painful side of the injury. The thing with soft tissue injuries, and happily be told different from someone in the field, is that their repair, however it is done, generally creates a weakness. If not at the injury itself, at another point because of conpensation. Having said that, I generally didn't take as much notice of the surgeons etc then I should have, hence the 'he needs to do as he is told' comment. Now 25 years after I first did my left knee - ACL, PCL & medial (if you are going to do something you may as well do it properly) - and many tears & niggles later I am looking down the barrel of two complete replacements. Did the right PCL, medial & patella last year just to make sure. Have also stuffed quite a few of the ligiments in my ankles as well but that is entirely another story. If you have daughters get them playing rugby, not netball.

Ligaments do not actually grow back, instead of an ACL Quade now has a piece of hamstring tendon (20 cms) that has been placed into his knee to replicate the role of an ACL. Same as Benn Robinson, who has a successful return to the and has his surgery at the start of the WC whereas QC (Quade Cooper) had his at the end. Quade shouldn't be too far away.

Realise that tranquility, but you go stuffn around with any of them it changes the way the body moves and operates and takes a while to get up to speed. Not doubting that both blokes can play again and reach their best again but, putting aside the mental aspects, they are going to have to be careful.

My opinion and my opinion only and should not be taken as personal and relevant medical advice.

 

[philsale]

I remember reading something a few years ago about ACL repairs, it might have been in NFL players. ACL repair alone had much less impact on the length of a player's career compared to medial meniscectomy or ACL+MM. Did QC (Quade Cooper) do his meniscus as well?
Will try and find the reference...

 

[Braveheart81]

I think confidence is by far the hardest thing to recover after a knee reconstruction.

That said, I'm not a professional athlete and no one was paying me to spend my days in the gym working on it. Unfortunately working behind a desk isn't the best rehab.

I'd be surprised if Quade's footwork is anything like it was for quite a while. It will be very hard to get out of the back of his mind the damage that can be done by the sort of stepping he used to take for granted.

 

[dobduff11]

I'll be very interested to see how he progresses on the stepping front!!

In the NFL they always talk about an 18 month recovery after an ACL recon, saying that Running backs dont get back to their sharpest before then.

 

[philsale]

Sorry guys - I said I would find that article:
Am J Sports Med. 2009 Nov;37(11):2102-7.Brophy RH, Gill CS, Lyman S, Barnes RP, Rodeo SA, Warren RF.
Effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and meniscectomy on length of career in National Football League athletes: a case control study.

 

[philsale]

Apologies for the feckin' ginormous pasted text, too.

 

[hammertimethere]

Yeah, surgeons generally say that an ACL recon is good to play on in 6 to 9 months.
Quade didn't do his meniscus I believe (which apparently is pretty remarkable, usually ACL snaps and meniscus goes too, but I am led to believe that this happens usually as a result of the injury occurring in contact. A non contact injury like Quades and Fat cats' where only the ACL goes is rare).
Also I saw that NFL study, they generally say running backs (the cream of the crop as far as evasive athletes are concerned) take 18 months to become as confident as they were pre-injury. But again, in the NFL [non-contact] ACL injuries are extremely rare, most of the time the refer to "doing a knee" as ACL, MCL, meniscus and sometimes a cracked patella.