Yesterday I was sailing my N6.0 with chute in about winds about 20. I'm usually trapped while the chute is up, but was on the tramp while my crew was trapped. We stuffed it running the chute, and slowly capsized. No big deal, but when I went to lay out into the main, my left leg had slipped under the hiking strap. OUCH! I thought I had ripped my leg off at the knee. Looks like MCL, and possibly ACL/PCL (ligaments) rupture.

Knee immobilizer and crutchs, ice, surgical assessment on Monday. Too bad both our vehicles are standards.

Hope this never happens to anyone else.



A big thanks to all those at the Texas City Dike who really helped me and saw that my boat, trailer and truck were taken care of. Thanks Bruce, et al.



Todd Bouton

N6.0na +

#111

Sorry to hear that. Last spring, I tore 2 of the 3 ligiments in my left thumb and had to have surgery to repair them and missed most of last season. After more than a year my hand is still not as good as it used to be and probably never will be, but I still seem to do okay with my cat. oh well, thats life. hope things work out for you. By the way, I was told that my ligament surgery had to be done within 6 weeks of the accident or the ligament would have shrunk beyond repair, requiring the joint to be fused. Not a fun thought.



Manfred Trent

Nacra 500 #107

Sorry you got hurt. Was looking forward to racing you at 2-Step.



Doug Snell

H17 #007

"Stress Free"

Todd,



Praying that yor healing is complete.



I always look at my hiking straps,..wondering when was the last time I had used them,.....which is somewhere between 'hardly ever and never',......now I am convinced after hearing your story,...I am taking mine off.



Good Health to you!



regards,

Bruce



I-17 'Love Never Fails'



St. Croix, USVI

Todd,

Sorry to hear this news. Glad to hear you're on the path to mending, although I'm sure it's going to be a long road. I really feel for you - beginning of the sailing season too!



I frequently hike hard from the straps with the crew on the wire, especially in puffy conditions. Now I've got something else to think about...



Here's hoping for a fast and complete recovery! Hopefully you'll still be able to find a way to be on the water this year!



p.s. - the spinnaker set up is progressing, it has been delayed due to time spent on some other projects, I'll send some pics when it's all together...

Todd,



Two years ago I had an incident of a different nature with my hiking straps. I was on the hull with my feet under the straps and my wife was on the wire. Early season. Minutes before sunset. Not another soul on the 38 degree water. The boat heeled in a puff. The hiking strap pulled out the worn stitching. I started sliding off the boat while my wife, still looking forward, called, "Kevin, Kevin!" Off the leward side I went, into the cold water. Thank god for drysuits! Michele didn't realize I had left the boat until she heard the splash and the mast hit the water.



The strap is sewn on securely now, but, after hearing your story . . .



Best of recoveries

Todd,

Sorry to hear about your knee. I have enjoyed the pleasure of ripping mine apart as well, though in less enjoyable circumstances (b-ball incident). I had my ACL replaced with tendon donated by my hamstring (do some due diligence on this operation/procedure, newer technology and techniques can greatly reduce the duration of post op rehabilitation) and had my MCL/PCL sewn/stapled back together (if the rip isn't too far from vascularization they can repair as blood flow is necessary for tissue repair).

I had my operation on December 14, 2001 and raced this past weekend in Santa Cruz. Knee held up great, though it's still not 100%. Admittedly, I babied it. Still, that's only four months. You might end up sailing this year! Best of luck.

Troy

PS--Stick with your rehab program. It's worth the pain.

Todd,



I have come close to doing that. I was too concerned about the possibility of drowning to care about my leg. I was very lucky to come out of that one with only a sore knee and some swelling of an old ACL rip. I am very sorry that you have taken such a serious blow. I'm sure that many of us have come close to getting it, but you were the unlucky guy and for that I feel very sympathetic.



Those straps can be quite dangerous and I hope that these postings will help others in injury avoidance. Just a month ago I was dragging Alan Thompson, "ud side down" and backwards through the water on his boat as his leg was caught in the strap. He came out of that without much damage in the end, but had his head hit the underwater reef.. !



GARY

Thanks for the sympathies.



I'm a Orthopedic Surgery Physician Assistant, so I pretty much knew what I had injured. A trip to the surgeon today and exam confirmed it. I have the MRI tomorrow and surgery when the swelling's down in a few weeks.



He put me in a Bledsoe style knee brace (hinged knee), so I can drive my manual truck (Dakota Quad Cab with the hemi V-8), and walk without crutches. I'll be in this brace after surgery also.



Here in Houston/Galveston we sail all year, pretty warm. I'm thinking about doing an offshore race here in Galveston May 4th in my knee brace, if it's before surgery.



It could happen, 8-)



Todd Bouton

N6.0na +

#111

Sweet about the 2-step, and it really sux about your knee. Hope it heals unusually fast. I'll be looking for you on the beach May 4.

MRI showed an intact meniscus!



But, more ligament damage then previously thought.



Rupture of the MCL, ACL, and PCL



Looking at surgery with Allograft for the ACL (cadeauver), and repair of the other two. Luckily my Patellar tendon and ligament, as well as Hamstrings are intact also.



Todd Bouton

Ouch, acronym alphabet soup! Sorry to hear it.



We might just have to get somebody to rig something with some carbon fiber, spectra, and carbo blocks to get you by in the mean time!

Todd:



So how long will you be out? Miss the whole season?



Doug Snell

H17 #007

"Stress Free"