Tracey Hannah Injures ACL after Crashing at the Crankworx Innsbruck Downhill

 Nobody should take retirement seriously!

 She's only retired from WC racing. Barring the injury I do wonder if she would have been tempted by doing the commentary to do a race or two.

 @Jacquers: Absolutely, WC racing is too risky, I think that was her reasoning.

 Legends don't retire.

 @silentbutdeadly: Only the retirement benefits and pension funds

 I had the same experience with a shoulder injury. When I hit the deck and felt the pop I was immediately thinking, "OK, broke my collarbone, that sucks, but whatever it's like 6 weeks." Turns out collarbone was fine, tore AC and scapular ligaments. Took over a year to get back to 100% and that was without surgery. I have a friend who coincidentally did the same injury a couple of weeks after I did mine, he got surgery, and his recovery took even longer, though he doesn't have the cool bump on his shoulder as a tank-top conversation piece.

 @adamszymkowicz: Ugh yeah. I'm three months out from surgery after a full AC separation (and a collarbone break along with it). Thankfully range of motion is 100% back and getting there felt like everything was just coming together at 2 months. But this past month has shown me that full recovery, strength, confidence on the bike etc. is going to be a long road. There are a lot of gravel miles in my future :-)

 @adamszymkowicz: I did a level three tear on my AC separating all ligaments and was on a road bike in three months and mountain biking again in four. Prior to that I was on a trainer about five days post injury and trying to load the joint. I had extremely intensive rehab and no surgery. Since there is no "repairing" it, (without surgery) it was only a matter of strengthening the supporting area.

 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: I separated my shoulder (I later found out) got sent home from A&E because I hadn't broken anything and just handled it myself. Still causes me problems at the gym, but the collarbone bump in the shoulder is a conversation starter at least

 I tore my ACL a couple of years ago end of March, got surgery in June and was Snowboarding again towards the ends of the following season. But I have to agree, I also broke my collarbone last October and could start riding Bikes and Boards in January, so I'd also pick a broken bone over any torn ligament.

 @abennett219: Yeah my other shoulder I managed a less sever AC separation myself. Since I had the experience of the major tear on my right shoulder, when I injured my left shoulder I knew right away that I had torn it and I grabbed my rehab paperwork and started back in on the exercises. I was commuting throughout the entire injury and got back into MTBing about 3-4 weeks post injury.

I still threaten my wife that I'll get Quatto's face tatoo'd on my collarbone bump so it looks like my budding an alien lifeform.

An most importantly, Healing Vibes to Tracy!!!

 I healed mine in three weeks using essential oils. Just kidding. Keep your head up, mate. It gets better.

 @fullendurbro: Don't forget your magnets, and prayer.

 You see this, right here, Mary-Owen Moffett, she broke my heart.

 I am at 49 weeks as well after a complete ACL replacement and a meniscus repair. I feel 90% but was riding at week 38.

Did you injure anything besides the ACL? It is a no joke injury though. Recovery sucked.

 @Tflores2828: I had a meniscus trim, complete ACL rupture, and partial tear of the LCL. Almost exactly one year before, same knee partially tore my MCL and fractured my femur right above the knee joint.
I don’t think I’m 90%, but I am riding as well as or better than before, with less strength in my left leg. Building the muscle back has been the hardest part. I had 3 months off work and PT was my full time job (literally 6 hours a day, icing between exercises). Was feeling pretty good, went back to work but during month 5 I slipped and tore my quad at the graft site which sent me back about two months. I had the quad tendon to knee cap graft. I’m a mechanic and couldn’t take a patellar graft because I’d never be able to kneel on concrete the same again.
Took one month to spin a full circle on my trainer with zero load. Started riding flat pavement around month 4. Raced my first local enduro last weekend. Still taking no chances until I’m further along so no big jumps/gaps/drop/skinnies. Lost over 3” of diameter on my left quad and 1.5” on my left calf. Squat strength out of a deep bend is still fairly weak and has been the hardest thing to get back and why I’m playing it safe on anything that will put me in super deep compressions. If I tear again I will really struggle with the decision to go through this for a second time or not.

 @fullendurbro: More of an essential herbs guy. Couldn’t have survived the boredom of the first month without!

 @mrpfp 100% with you. Sick of ligament damage. My ACL at 26. The meniscus is history at 48. Various minor ligament and tendon destruction in fingers elbows shoulders, ball of foot.
I broke a bone at a DH race once. It was the 2nd rib from the top and I was cleared to race in 3 weeks time.

I'd trade every ligament explosion for a break.....except those "see this...it's where the bolt sticks through my skin" ones.

 Whoever designed the human body is a complete and utter moron...

 @jlevandoski: yep, had to make the brain huge to keep it safe and now look at the creek we're in.

 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: Mine was a level three as well, and I was on the trainer later that week, and back on the mtb in four months, but it was painful. I definitely was careful pulling up to bunnyhop logs and stuff for a while. Hit PT hard, and was feeling pretty good but always had a little bit of impingement and pain under load. The thing that changed it actually was throwing a duffel bag on a conveyer belt in the airport one day about a year after and felt a pop, and a rush of warmth down my arm. At first I thought I'd torn it again, but about ten seconds later it felt amazing, and haven't had that impingement or pain since. I figure I tore some scar tissue that was messing stuff up.

 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: I prefer crystals and chanting.

 Everyone is different it seems. I completely tore my MCL and ACL years back skiing. MRI confirmed, surgery scheduled but after a sucessful rehab with out ACL reconstruction, I decided why bother if it doesn't bother me at all. And it doesnt. I'm riding DH, playing hockey, skiiing, hiking and it's all good, no instability. One of the key differences I think was that my injury didnt do any damage to the meniscus. My ski came up behind me as I fell and twisted my knee.

 @inverted180: yep. meniscus is the limp

 @mrpfp: Sh**! I'm still waiting to have surgery to repair my ACL.

 @ripinitup: Make sure to do your research on the graft options available to you. Each has it’s downside. If you don’t have short term disability insurance I’d recommend it. I have a physical job so there is no way I could have come back to work in any less than 3 months and really I would have liked to wait even longer. Post OP PT is intensive. Good luck to ya!

 Rob brings the hype, and Tracey gives those sweet technical insights in her own Aussie-chill stoke

 Yea they're a hoot. Calling it now, Rob + Tracey taking over from Claudio next season.

 @miff: She might still be able to do the announcing both before and a month or so after surgery.

 I went no surgery on a complete AC/scapular ligament tear. The doc told me that there's enough muscle around the joint that the shoulder regains stability on its own, but I'll probably have arthritis in it later. The problem with leaving an ACL out is that it's kind of like removing one of the legs from a 4 legged stool. Yes, you can balance on those 3 legs, but it's not as stable, and because your knees are supporting your body weight the extra stress gets distributed to the other ligaments (PCL, MCL, LCL). The ACL is mainly in charge of resisting rotation, so biking doesn't stress that too much, so yeah you can ride without an ACL, but if you catch a foot, or do anything other than ride a bike, you're at a much higher risk for compensatory or additional injuries. TLDR: If you have good insurance, get the surgery, it's going to be better in the long run.

 I'm not sure why Snapcatcher is being down voted. Non-surgical is definitely an option. Outside of the US it is much more common too. It is certainly not right for everyone. Just likely reconstructionis not right for everyone. About 10 to 20% are good candidates aka "copers." There are some very in depth studies on copers, return to sports rates, reinjury rates, and OA rate between reconstruction and staying deficient. At 30 years post injury both groups has similar stats. Some had re injured their reconstruction. Some had decided to get reconstructed. About 70% iirc still had similar active capability regardless or surgery vs non. About 40% had OA, also regardless. Do some reading on the subject, its quite interesting. If you choose to go deficient then perturbation training is very important. It trains the surrounding muscles to subconsciously and very rapidly react to any instability.

 @adamszymkowicz: Been there done that. Right knee ACL reconstruction in 1996 (with left knee patellar tendon autograft), same ACL revision in 2007, and 2 menisectomies in the right knee again. I hated the feeling of instability, especially stepping off curbs and stair steps. Sx and rehab sucks, but I'm still boarding and biking and playing hoops.

 @AccidentalDishing: yeh slightly surprised at getting downvoted for suggesting an alternative to surgery and a long recovery period. I did ACL (complete tear) MCL and meniscus. I was advised of my options, and chose to not have surgery. Was back riding 6 weeks later. I race DH at local level, run with my dogs ect. It causes me no issues. And like I mentioned, there are other WC riders that also chose the no surgery option. Ive heard from many people tho who were not advised there are other options.

 @Snapcatcher: I did not downvote you. A college pitcher just died from complications periprocedural to Tommy John Sx. Shit can happen so everyone is different. Do you wear a brace? I did to play basketball after both ACL SXs.

 @Snapcatcher: I also have a full ACL rupture (left). It’s been that way for years and I have no intention of getting surgery to fix it. I ride a ton, and ski a good bit too (always braced up) and have zero issues. Higher risk of MCL/LCL damage potentially, but I generally don’t put myself in situations where that’s a concern. No regrets.

 We need to start a club or something. Not too many people that don't opt for the surgery.

I tore my right MCL and ACL and was able rehab. Full on DH, skiing, hockey, running, hiking, even a little pick up basketball and no problem.

I did tear my left ACL decades earlier and didnt do proper rehab right away (dumb youth) and would do slight dislocations of my knee when I tried to play sports. I had a bucket handle tear of the cartilage eventually and no stability. I needed that surgery bad and the results have been good. So each case is different.

 @mtallman2:
What brace for skiing?

 @Staktup: I wore a basic brace for a couple months when I returned to riding.

 It is possible in many cases to not get your knee reconstructed. But if you do sports or you are a very active person you need surgery to repair your knee to further prevent more damage.
I know a guy who was ridding last 20 years with a broken ACL,but he had an incident and had his knee repaired finally at the same time as mine. He walk away the hospital,an had a very short rehab period compared to me.
For me was almost impossible to walk with the broken ACL,so I had no choice. If you have very elastic joints (many women) it is easy to brake something and very hard to be fine like that.

 @AccidentalDishing: Donjoy Legend, highly recommend.

 It could be relatively quick rehab if you had a diagnostic and surgery quick ( I would said less than 2 weeks from the moment you broke it). Some people can walk away from the hospital with crouches,in other cases like mine,you can´t put your foot on the ground for a month. I needed 6 months to be able to walk "normal" and 7 to ride my bike again in the streets (nothing crazy,just "Verano Azul" stuff hahaha).
It is hell on earth for an MTB rider,it is easier to heal a broken femur that a knee,that is what my doctor said to me hahaha.

 It seems to vary. My doc (OSC in Virginia, US) planned on doing a cadaver reconstruction with plastic barbed collets instead of screws. He swore I would walk to the car after with no brace. 4 weeks stationary bike easy. 6 weeks road bike easy spin. 8 weeks I could start moderate training on road, no paceline stuff for risk of fall. 12 weeks full gas road and gravel racing, 16 weeks full gas mtb. I chose to stay deficient for now as I was 99% at 3 months post injury. I do wear a soft brace while riding. I did a 50 mile, 9000ft mtb race on singlespeed in April (3.5 months after injury) with no issues. I may get reconstruction in the future of the situation chainges

 @AccidentalDishing: Cadaver stuff is by far more fragile and had a good chance your body do not like it...In my case,they cut the part of the ischiotibial band to rebuild my knee from the same leg (ultrabutton technique),it is my own stuff. I had some other stuff in my knee like some fractures in the tibia&femur plateau,small meniscus broken piece and other various damage.

 fault of the 29 wheels!

 @blacktea: you can't blame 29ers for that. I guess with the geometry changes over the last 10 years and the tracks that get faster, due to more hard-pack tracks to ensure the fairest race possible even with rain, riders take falls at much higher speeds. So risks of injuries are way higher.
My guess, if we actually see an increas in knee injuries, it might be worth looking at things like knee braces.
I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of riders in e.g. MXGP ride woth knee braces.
There are a few that wear them in ski racing aswell, but mostly after 5 ACL reconstructions...

 @Phipu: I was ironic!

 Every langages have acronyms.... it's just a matter of finding what they mean

 Anterior Cruciate Ligament - I assume, yeah acronyms can be annoying.

 Anterior cruciate ligament.

 ACL=Anterior Cruciate Ligament AKA LCA=Legamento Crociato Anteriore

Now find out what AKA means

 matt hoffman can tell you the gory details - youtu.be/F6m-wLxvWsw

 In Spanish is LCA too, Ligamento Cruzado Anterior . I broke mine almost a year ago,it is hell on earth if you like sports and active live...

 @flowisforpussies: also known as = aka

 @JiminOz: that's my childhood hero you're talking about. The man is far from dumb.
A risk-taker and pioneer yes, but no-one becomes the best in the world at something by being dumb.

 Anterior Cruciate Ligament

 Let's ask the UCI...

 @tremeer023: how would you describe holding a surgeons drill to help while he drills through you leg without anaesthetic then?

 *your

 @simonusedtoskate: What a legend!

 @JiminOz: career focused?
Fair enough not recommended and not something I would do personally but I'm also not setting new world records at the top end of a sport. He obviously did his homework first and was worth it in his mind, even if it meant lending a hand.
I guess when your day job involves breaking records and exploring unknown territory in a risky way, it's not too much of a step further.

 I'm happy to nominate David Chipman as head of the ALC.

 @simonusedtoskate: that is insane...