Kelsey’s ACL Injury and Recovery Journey

It all began on a spectacular powder day at Winter Park, where ART’s Kelsey Malcolm was skiing through untouched snow. She typically avoids groomed trails, opting to explore backcountry and bowl areas instead. Suddenly, Kelsey felt a sharp pop in her left knee. Surprisingly, there was no pain, so she continued skiing down the mountain. Despite the lack of pain, she knew something was wrong as her knee would give out every time she turned right.

Forced to sit out the rest of the day at the lodge, Kelsey’s next stop was to get imaging done with an orthopedic specialist. The appointment was on a Thursday, and by Tuesday, she was in surgery. The diagnosis was a complete tear of her ACL.

The Surgery

Kelsey’s ACL reconstruction involved using a hamstring graft, where one of her hamstrings was used to create a new ACL. The surgery was straightforward, but the recovery process was intense.

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Waking up from surgery was one of the most painful experiences of Kelsey’s life (and she has had children!). She was in a locked brace with a nerve blocker in her leg, which meant no weight bearing or bending until evaluated by a physical therapist.

Physical therapy (PT) began just 1.5 weeks after surgery. Initially, Kelsey could only bend her knee 20 degrees and couldn’t straighten it fully. PT sessions were twice a week, and she diligently did her exercises at home.

By the second week of PT, Kelsey was strong enough to start walking without crutches, although the brace had to remain locked. This was also when she began using ART (Active Release Techniques) to address pain in her right hip flexor, which had been suffering from overcompensation and limping.

Here’s how Kelsey’s Recovery Progressed:

• Week 3: She could walk upstairs with the brace unlocked.
• Week 4: The brace was off! She began riding a stationary bike.
• Month 2: Kelsey transitioned to the elliptical machine.
• 5 Weeks Post-Op: She stopped attending PT but continued with home exercises and gym workouts.
• End of Month 2: She regained full range of motion.
• Month 3: Kelsey could use the treadmill, though not yet for jogging.
• Month 4: She started using the stair stepper and doing limited range squats (without weights).
• Month 5: Kelsey began jogging, doing lateral movements, and weight-bearing exercises.
• Month 6: She was fully released and able to return to sports with no limitations! She recently hit this milestone and is now working on improving her running time, currently at a 12-minute mile.

Looking ahead

Kelsey will wear a brace for ski season, but that’s her only remaining limitation. Reflecting on her journey, Kelsey attributes her rapid recovery to several factors: she followed her doctors’ and PTs’ advice, pushed herself safely, remained consistent with her exercises, and listened to her body—resting when needed, using ART when necessary, and never giving up.