Sustaining an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in My Left Knee

Hello! I am Yuma Suzuki, a physical therapist.
This time, I would like to talk about the time I actually injured my anterior cruciate ligament, what I discussed with the doctor, and how I felt after the injury.

1. Mechanism of injury and the movements I believe caused it
I was diagnosed by the director of my workplace with an injury to the anteromedial bundle (AMB) of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my left knee.

As for the cause of the injury, I believe it occurred when I was in junior high school, when a strong external force was applied in a knee-in direction at the same time I landed while serving in volleyball. In addition to that, I believe the injury occurred when I took a deep flexion position while playing goalkeeper and making a save during a futsal game on November 15, 2025.

2. What I discussed with the doctor during the examination
The topics I discussed with the doctor during the examination included:
・Explanation of the pathology
・What happens if I continue living with the injury
・Why it becomes difficult to move
・Hospitalization period and the duration for wearing a brace
・Until returning to work
These were the topics discussed during the examination. It was very educational as I was taught things I had studied before as well as new knowledge I was unaware of.

3. How I felt after the injury
Regarding this injury, the first thing that crossed my mind was whether or not to have surgery, and I thought most about the impact on those around me if I did. Whether to do it or not simply stemmed from my anxiety about the surgery itself.
Regarding the impact on those around me, I had thoughts such as whether I would be a burden to patients when I returned to work, or if new patients might dislike me.

However, my supervisor at work made me realize that I was not putting my own body first and that I should not worry so much about others. It made me rethink that choosing not to have surgery, even at the cost of my own body, requires the resolve to live with the pain.
I think there are actually quite a few patients who think this way before surgery. I feel this is a good opportunity to realize that special explanation is necessary for patients who are thinking about what to do during rehabilitation or who do not want to have surgery.

My personal plan going forward is:
Exercise while wearing a supporter → ACL reconstruction surgery sometime next year → Return to work 2-3 weeks later.
I think I will spend next year following the flow above. I hope to post about the post-operative progress and my condition after the procedure!

〜In conclusion〜
How was it? This time, I wrote about when I was actually diagnosed with an ACL injury. I hope you were able to learn about how I actually feel and that there are such ways of thinking. I would be happy if I could provide better advice and act for the sake of my patients as I interact with them in the future!
Thank you for staying with me until the end! Look forward to the next post!
“Today’s learning, for tomorrow’s patients”