swelling of the ankle and foot is totally normal! i am six weeks from my acl/meniscus surgery and i still have this. also, a lot a few others i am in PT with still have this and it is explained to be normal.
I had torn my ACL three years ago now. To fix it, my doctor took part of my hamstring and made a new one. I know that healing time varies, especially from person to person. When I tore my ACL, another person tore his a month later and got his repaired. He ended up farther along in therapy than I was by the end of my therapy. I was walking within the first two weeks. One thing I do know is I still feel good with my new acl, but there are some limitations in sports I have now.
Five weeks ago I had a complete tear of my ACL, torn miniscus, and torn MCL. The orthopaedist thinks I'll need surgery on my ACL, and he suggested I wait until summer since I'm a school employee. The other two tears should heal on their own. I've had four physical therapy sessions, and the Physical Therapist is amazed that I have almost complete range of motion and virtually no pain. My knee does feel unstable, though. I have two questions: 1. Do most people have a swollen ankle on the same leg with the torn ACL five weeks post-injury? The PT was concerned, but said my leg wasn't hot, and he could feel a good pulse. I'll ask my orthopaedist when I return next week. 2. If I'm doing this well (except for the swelling), should I have surgery? I'm 47 years old and just participate in moderate activity - no big sports or sudden, shifting, twisting movements. The doctor did tell me it's generally best to repair torn ACLs to improve stability as well as stave off future arthritis, which chances are increased without surgery. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated. I'm sort of bummed out about all of this. Many thanks.