Leaving Saturday - torn ACL & a knee brace!

[nkereina]

Unfortunately, DH tore his ACL at work last week. He was given a knee brace for stability, and will be seeing a Physical Therapist on Wednesday. We leave for Disney & Universal on Saturday, so his surgery will be after we return.

Luckily, he's not in pain and can walk fine though he's not able to fully bend his knee. Definitely no twisting, squatting, pivoting, etc. The brace helps him keep his leg straight so he doesn't move it into positions making it worse or painful.

My question is what rides should we be mindful of for him getting in and out of the ride vehicles? We have been to both Disney and Universal before and a few come to mind, but looking for experiences from others and maybe other things we haven't considered yet. Aside from Dragon Challenge and the Hulk at Universal, are there any rides at either Disney or Universal that he may not be permitted to go on?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[FlyingBelle]

Oh not fun! That happened to me several years ago, about 2 weeks before our DisneyWorld trip I severed my ACL and had the knee brace. I opted to rent an ECV since even with the brace my knee wasn't stable and I didn't want to fall again (I had already fallen a second time).

I'm not a thrill ride person in general, but one I can note is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - my dad couldn't ride it this past spring because he can't fully bend his knees and he wasn't able to sit down in the seat.

You may want to search on Pooh Sized riders - some of those posts explain which rides or cars have more leg room which may be helpful.

 

[Sadie22]

Going on vacation soon after a work comp injury could complicate the case.

 

[nkereina]

Going on vacation soon after a work comp injury could complicate the case.

Maybe it varies by state, but here, as long as the doctor clears him (which he has), he is free to go with no issue. He's not receiving comp yet either as he won't be out of work until after surgery which will be after our trip.

 

[Sadie22]

it's not up to the company doctor to protect your husband's rights. The company doctor looks out for the company.

 

[lanejudy]

he's not able to fully bend his knee. Definitely no twisting, squatting, pivoting, etc.

How much can he bend the knee? Many rides do not have much leg room to stretch out straight. Depending on the design of the ride vehicle, if they'll allow him to take up a full row he may be able to put the leg out to the side, but if CMs insist on filling each row with bodies there isn't likely to be room. Also, consider if he be able to step down into ride vehicles and step up to get out. CMs cannot assist, your party will need to assist when necessary.

Workers Comp rules vary by state, but I'd err on the side of caution that he not do anything which could aggravate the injury -- or that might be seen as potential for aggravating it. It could be near impossible to prove he didn't aggravate the injury on your trip.

Good luck with his surgery and recovery, and enjoy your vacation!

 

[nkereina]

it's not up to the company doctor to protect your husband's rights. The company doctor looks out for the company.

He's seeing his own orthopedic doctor, not a company doctor. Just here for advice on rides, not worker's comp. We are well versed in that. Thanks though!

 

[Sadie22]

Then I will write for others who may be confused. The injured worker needs to be seeing company doctors and will need to be cleared by a company doctor to return to work. If the knee does not heal 100%, the injured worker will be unable to prove that the vacation did not make a fixable problem worse. If his work does not depend on a functioning knee, a vacation at this critical juncture may be fine. In some lines of work people cannot return to work for an extended period or at all if there is some loss of function.