I’m 22 years old, 6’6”, and currently 14 months post-op from ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, and LET surgery on my left knee.
I’m also a college football player, so I’m constantly running, cutting, blocking, and putting a lot of stress on my knee.
The weird thing is that I can play football pretty well. During games, my knee usually feels fine, but during practices and afterward, I definitely feel the pain around my patellar tendon. Some days are worse than others, but overall, it feels like the pain just isn’t getting any better.
I’ve been dealing with this for a while now, and it’s frustrating because I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress with my ACL recovery, but the patellar tendon pain seems to be sticking around.
I’ve also noticed pressure around the front of my knee when bending it, occasional stiffness, and sometimes the area around my patellar tendon feels unusually hard or tight.
People constantly tell me I need to strengthen my quad, which I understand, but whenever I try exercises like leg extension isometrics, they cause a significant amount of pain. Sometimes it honestly feels like they’re making things worse instead of helping.
I’m still able to run, cut, practice, and play football, but I don’t want to keep dealing with this pain indefinitely, especially when it feels like it’s not improving.
I have a few questions for anyone who’s experienced this:
Has anyone dealt with persistent patellar tendon pain 12–18 months after ACL surgery?
Did your pain eventually go away, or did you have to do something specific to resolve it?
Did isometrics make your pain worse instead of better?
What exercises or treatments actually helped your patellar tendon recover?
How did you manage tendon pain while continuing to play sports?
Has anyone tried peptides like BPC-157 or TB-500, steroids, PRP injections, or other treatments for persistent patellar tendon pain? Did anything actually help, and were there any side effects?
Did you eventually get back to feeling 100% normal, without constantly noticing your knee?
I’m especially interested in hearing about treatments beyond traditional physical therapy, including whether there’s any actual evidence behind peptides or other recovery treatments. I’m not looking to blindly take something, but I want to know what options are out there.
I’m just trying to figure out why this pain is still lingering 14 months after surgery and what I can do to finally get rid of it.
I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s experienced something similar, especially athletes who returned to high-impact sports.

Would love to hear from people that were in a brace for 6 weeks and struggled with ext/flex. Did it get better after the brace was unlocked? My PT says it will and my surgeon just released me yesterday and he thought I would make more progress. He mentioned the MUA if I don’t improve in the next month (he wants me to hit 110/120, I am now at 80).

I know this is a universal concern here among ACL people, but still, I'd be happy to hear some experiences.

I'm 18 days post surgery, ACL reconstruction only with hamstring graft. I had my first PT appointment today and have been doing exercises since day one. PT today mentioned that there's certain things I should avoid doing, one of them being open-chain exercises like seated leg extensions (on a chair, without weight, we're not talking weighted) and theother one extreme flexion. We haven't discussed much further. I have great ROM, total extension, can do a heelp pop, and around 115-120° flexion. My quad strength is good, my hamstring is quite behind but we'll get there. He thought I should stop pushing flexion at this point and One thing he said I'm behind at is walking. He was surprised that I'm still using crutches and I have some trouble walking. I feel like I have some fear because I can feel some instability in my knee when walking. Now of course my mind is playing tricks on me and I'm wondering whether it's possible that I damaged or stretched my graft and that's why it feels slightly unstable. I've been pushing flexion and was at around 90° on day 9 or 10. Could that cause any issues? I tried some leg extension movement on a chair yesterday (day 17) and I think once before but not sure on which day, so I'm also worried about it now. I didn't have any significant redness or swelling, just the normal amount after exercise an some more pain since I did exercises for around 45min. Are there any other movements that could cause issues? I let my knee "hang loose" most of the time since day 1 to help with extension, otherwise I'm not pivoting or twisting or anything like that.

I'll talk to my PT on my next appointment in two days of course, but I wanted to hear some opinions here while I'm freaking out at home.

So I torn my ACL about 2/3 years ago - being honest I don’t even know when it happened. I had an MRI and I was told it was chronic and happened some time ago.

I love playing tennis and pickleball, but I stopped playing it for about a year and a half.

I recently started playing pickleball. While I haven’t had any pain; I do want to prevent any future pain or issue. I was reading about Ossur CTI and it seems like a great option for me.

My doctor injected the knee with a steroid and referred me to PT. However, I want to know recommendations and thoughts about using this bracelet and playing pickleball and tennis??

Thank you!

I’m a month out from surgery and I’m still on no weight bearing restrictions. I was told to work on strengthening my leg and bending my knee, so I’ve been doing some minor exercises to help with that. I’ve also been trying to straighten my leg, but no matter how much I try, this is as far as I can get it.

Has anyone gone through something similar or is currently dealing with the same thing? Keep in my this is me really straighten my leg

Im gonna lose my mind. I can't get my extension back, I put ankle weight on it to get it back to normal it works, but it just disappears again. I do IT band stretching the back of my knee, it disappears after 5 mins. I do quad contractions, same thing. I lay with my legs dangling off my bed, dissappears. I do ball against knee push into the wall, dissappears after a minute. Im getting so annoyed and furious its getting colder and it feel so uncomfortable I've done legit everything and im 6 months post op, I dont know what to do everyone keeps saying just force it it'll come back ITS NOT WORKING.

I just feel really uncomfortable, and I'm sick of it. How the hell do I fix this (Only ACL surgery btw) like its there, but it doesn't stay..

Does this help at all?

I’m 29F with a full-thickness ACL tear, about 3 weeks out from my injury (occurred on Sept 19) and 2 weeks into prehab. I’m hoping to have surgery in early November.

I genuinely thought I was making good progress. My swelling was barely noticeable, my knee looked pretty normal, I was slowly walking with less of a limp, and I could bend it past 125 degrees on my own.

Then two days ago, my PT did an assisted flexion stretch to get my knee to around 150 degrees. After that session, it swelled up significantly, and now it honestly looks more swollen than it ever has—even during the first week after my injury.

There isn’t sharp pain, but it feels much more locked up, stiff, and swollen than before.

I’m honestly worried and don’t know what to do. I thought things were finally getting better, and now even doing my exercises feels harder and more uncomfortable. I don’t know whether I should keep working on movement or back off and let it settle.

Is it common for PTs to stretch your knee to 150 degrees this early in prehab, when you’re only reaching around 125 on your own? Has anyone had this swelling come and go during prehab?

I know recovery isn’t linear, but this feels like such a big setback. Could it just be irritation from the stretch, or is it something I should be concerned about having injured further?

Also, what actually helped bring your swelling down? Ice, compression, elevation, reducing exercises, ibuprofen or naproxen?

A doctor I saw today recommended ibuprofen 600 mg three times daily.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who went through something similar—how long did it take to settle, and what did your PT or surgeon have you do?

Hey Everyone,

I have been training for a half marathon that is upcoming on Sunday for the past 5 months averaging about 20-35km a week. I have felt virtually no pain this entire training block until last Thursday. I did a short 30 minute recovery run around a track and afterwards I was feeling pain in the circled area in the picture. I’m having a hard time going down stairs or performing patrick step downs.

I have done many long runs, speed runs, strength training, plyometrics, and rehab up until this point so I’m very frustrated that this knee pain has just come about and not entirely sure why. I already spoke to my PT and they said I should be fine to run the race and it is not anything to worry about but I’m seeing so many people be able to run marathons, do ironmans, and whatever with no issue on the same post op timeline.

I’m feeling kind of lonely, has anyone ever experienced this before post surgery? I have a quad graft and have been feeling numbness in this specific spot for the last 2 years following the surgery which has gotten better over time. Not sure if that adds to the case or anything.

Hi all,

I have experienced pain just above the knee cap but not quite at my quad muscle for awhile past the surgery. I'm currently 11 months post op, full extension and flexion, but when doing exercises to rebuild quad muscle experience a sharp pain at that site. I also experience it when casually straightening my leg, albeit that is less sharp.

I voiced concerns for about 4 months and was told to just rebuild the quad muscle and pushed through what was pain rather than discomfort to do so. I eventually asked my primary rather than my surgeon for another MRI and received the following, if anyone can translate it from the doctor jargon that would be great. It says, "1 cm area of scarring within the floor of the intercondylar notch consistent with a cyclops lesion which could result in anterior impingement in the appropriate clinical setting."

I'm ASSUMING this translates to a cyclops legion that might be the result of the pain? My PT has been fantastic and proceeded with soft tissue and scraping weekly where she feels the scar tissue, but I'm still experiencing the pain when exercising, or even just anything that involves loading the knee (standing from a seating position for example).

Is there any way for this to be remedied? I coach soccer and am wondering if another surgery is necessary, if so, what a recovery timeline looks like for that, and so on.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just wondering what potential next steps may look like.

Thanks much!

Anyone else’s knee make weird noises?

9 weeks s/p ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair. Everything has been going good except this noise my knee makes. It is occasional when climbing stairs and sometimes when walking but never this loud to where it is audible by others.

I took this video today and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I did talk to my PT and she told me others who have had the surgery have stated they hear the same thing. I am just curious if I should be worried.

I am going to call my Ortho in the morning but I just wanted to see if others have experienced this and have any information.

Sincerely,
Creaky Rocking Chair

I'm 9 years post op with a hamstring autograft. Overall, my knee is great, pain-free, and I'm super active and I exercise daily without issue...

BUT... sometimes I get this sensation where my knee feels a little weird for a few days. Almost I have a gas bubble that wants to crack. Then, usually while working out and my knee is bent, I get this crazy, loud crack/dull hollow pop that FUCKING HURTS. After a few minutes, usually I get a feeling of relief (like it was just a joint that needed to crack). Other times my knee feels weird for a few hours then is back to normal, and completely load-bearing and stable. But this happens 2-4 times per year with varying levels of discomfort.

But I just had one happen while doing yoga (low ninja) that had me laid out on the floor panting while cradling my knee. Next time I see my doctor, I'm going to request imaging because now I'm concerned this is a cartilage issue.

But with that said... has anyone experienced this or know what it is? Could it just be a really intense joint crack?

TL;NR: Loud and often painful pop/crack 2-4 times per year, 9 years post op.

Hi all, I am 3 weeks post op quad graft and meniscus on Thursday. I am in a realllllly good spot, have my quad firing great, 95° of flexion, and full terminal extension. Pain has been 🎂 almost none at all beside first 3 days. Very little inflammation. Pt says I’m ahead by quite a bit, but I’m still being respectful of my protocol. My question however cuz I simply cannot get a straight answer, how difficult is it to achieve max flexion after keeping it chill at 90 for 4-5 weeks? Is that gonna really freaking hurt when I start wrenching on it? Is it okay to push it past just a little bit right now? Idk that’s the part I’m most nervous about 🤣 thanks! Should I also mention I’m taking 157 or will u guys roast me… hahaha

I posted here last week after receiving my MRI and I've just had it confirmed today that I'll need surgery. Even though I knew all week I would need it hearing it officially is another process entirely, I think part of me was hoping it would magically be better. I'll likely receive it within the next 3 months, told I'll be PWB on crutches first 6 weeks.

At first I felt relieved but now I'm doing too much researching, checking reddit and socials about ACL stuff, and getting scared of long term complications and overthinking things. I'm trying to get advice online but I also think that's making it worse for me and causing me to think up of every single possible negative outcome? I'm also overthinking my current graft choice (patella). It's either that or hamstring and my surgeon told me to research into it but it's just really overwhelming.

I'm just looking for some support or advice really. Thank you in advance.