[hanggliderdoc]

I recently had surgery to repair my patella after a sports related injury. I'm a bit hesitant to jump into hang gliding as a result. Anyone experience hang gliding after knee surgery? How long do you recommend waiting?

[Ross L]

As soon as you can "walk,jog,run" with a glider on your shoulders without pain thats all I have, sorry.

[nulld]

I hate to hear about your injury. If I were you, I would speak to your doctor.

I had an ACL injury before I had ten flights off the mountain and wasn't able to fly for three months. My doctor wanted to see if the small tear would heal itself, so I had to go through physical therapy and wear a knee brace. After three months, I was allowed to fly with limitations until my knee stabilized. For example, I was only allowed to land on wheels because of the strain landing would have on the ACL (apparently, my doc had seen me land. lol). As my knee stabilized, I was able to go back to regular training.

[Bobfly]

You might consider aerotowing and landing gear to roll in on. There's no shame in landing on wheels.

[michael170]

[relate2]

I had an arthroscope investigation on my knee and it took ages before every thing was right. I was fine walking but trying to turn a shopping trolley around a corner putting sideways stress on my knee was a killer.

Bottom line, you have the rest of your life to fly, take your time mate and make sure it is right before you fly.

[Manta_Dreaming]

[kg386109]

I had meniscus arthroscopic surgery.

Everyone's different. I flew in mild conditions and landed on flat golf course grass after 10 weeks. ' Wore a double knee brace.

Talk to your MD but even then, you have to use your own good judgement. That's what we do. We use good judgement considering all the facts of the moment. Cross country out landings duh ...no ! High wind cliff launches duh, let me think.

[pjwings]

I had an ACL replacement plus a torn meniscus repaired. This was long before I got into HG but that surgery was a b*tch! Took me months to be able to jog for 10 minutes without significant pain and sweling. Later, half way through my HG training I had to stop for a second meniscus surgery... I had torn it again picking up my 2 year old daughter from a squat! This time the surgery was relatively minor. I was walking the next day and I came back to training after about 6 weeks and spent the first couple of sessions wheel landing to prevent injury to my still weakened knee.

It's very do-able.... just takes some extra care. I land on my feet and haven't had any problems. Of course every surgery is different as is every injury. Your specifics may dictate a different course, however if the worst case scenario is being consigned to wheel landing by default you're still going to regret every minute of your life that you spent NOT knowing how to hang glide

[skypilot155]

I have enough metal in me to build an ultralight. 3knee surgeries with a knee replacement. Left elbow repaired right shoulder rebuilt and now I'm recovering from a right ankle repair after a fracture to it a year and a half ago. If I was a horse I'd be glue by now. Take your time recovering and fly when your doctor and you feel It's safe. By the way only my fractured ankle came from HG.

[Pseudolus]

I have had three major knee surgeries including Patellar ACL repair in each knee and each time waited for about three to four months before flying. It has been 11 and 15 years since and have had no problems with 75 + hours/year landing at 7500+ ft LZ's. Get a strong repair method (patellar tendon) and you will not have any problems at all.
(ATOS VQ, U2 160)

GOOD LUCK

[Mavi Gogun]

[flybop]

As others have said, do this with your doc's consent. I recovered from two broken femurs and a shattered tibia plateau. After having all the metal taken out and knowing that the bones were completely healed I am totally fine doing everything that I had done prior to my injuries.

My ortho did say that I could expect to get 5 years, ten if I was lucky, out of my original equipment shattered knee. Well, I am 15 years out now and my knee is fine.

One thing that I can not say enough about though is physical therapy and exercise. Get your legs, especially the muscles that support your knees, as strong as possible. Also, do not push your rehab. Re-injury is no fun.

Good luck on your recovery and your learning to fly hg's!

[Phoenix]

"Re-injury is no fun" Tell me about it!
I'm just lucky the last injury, actually fixed the previous
five or six that lasted 19 months.
Fell 6 feet out of the apple tree, landed on it, walla.....
Cured and getting stronger every day!
Thing is as you get older, and sedintary, all the old injuries
come back. But like Gunny Ermey says: "Pain is weakness leaving
your body." So true if you moderate you recovery!

[Cal Glider]

I took out half of a tendon in my left knee when I trusted what someone else said about my diver, “Dude, you deflexiors are WAY too loose!” When I launched, the tips of my leading edges were bowed forward. It (FreeFlight 17std.) flew great in a straight line…it was when I tried to turn that there was a problem…I think I convalesced for about 4 months or so. The doc released me at 1pm…2 o’clock, I was standing on launch at the site where I crashed (Little Black Mountain). I started to run and my knee gave out, I leaped into the harness, pulled in and dove for airspeed. I swear that the large rock just below launch had my name painted on it! So I would think that may be a bit longer rehab would be better, but hey, I wanted to get high, what can I say, that’s just me and the nature of my addiction. Live to fly/fly to live…yea, yea, so I stole it from the bikers and tweaked the words a bit…

[Phoenix]

You pioneers are so hard core!

[hanggliderdoc]

Wheels and a knee brace. You guys rock!

Thanks for all the feedback!