Falling Forward: My ACL Tear & Avulsion Fracture Recovery Journey
— 4 min read —
On February 25, 2025, at 8 p.m., I was biking home when everything changed instantly. My back tire got caught in a streetcar track while heading downhill on Broadview and Gerrard. I swerved hard to the right, lost control, and slammed directly onto my right knee, with a heavy city bike crashing down on top of it. I couldn’t get up. That moment marked the beginning of the hardest physical and mental journey I’ve ever faced.
What followed was my very first ambulance ride to Michael Garron Hospital, where I spent 9 long hours waiting and undergoing X-rays and a CT scan. The suspected diagnosis was an ACL tear and avulsion fracture, which was confirmed a week later with an MRI at 3 am. It was a high-grade partial ACL tear and a Segond fracture (a specific type of avulsion fracture often associated with ligament injury). Surgery was on the table, but luckily, with no meniscal involvement, my care team and I opted to try physiotherapy first, and monitor healing and my ability to regain stability of my knee.
Losing Independence
For the next 2–3 weeks, I was immobile. I wore a Zimmer splint, relied on crutches, and couldn’t place any weight on my leg, let alone walk on it. Basic tasks like getting out of bed, bathing, or even cooking felt insurmountable. That was humbling. I leaned heavily on my amazing circle of friends and family, who showed up in ways I couldn’t for myself.
The pain was constant, but the mental and emotional strain was just as real. As someone who's never been injured before—and a physiotherapist, no less—this was uncharted territory. I was suddenly on the other side of the table, living what so many of my patients had described to me.
Goals That Kept Me Going
Very early on, I set short-term and long-term goals to give my recovery structure and hope:
✅ Short-term: Reduce swelling, regain range of motion, and re-train my quadriceps and
hamstrings to activate.
🎯 Long-term: Walk without my brace, return to work fully functional, dance and jog again,
and take my birthday trip to Mexico in April These goals gave me small, clear milestones to celebrate, even when full recovery still felt far away.
The Long Climb Back
Eventually, I purchased a custom $2,000 hinged knee brace (that took what felt like forever to arrive, as every day felt painfully slow). With it, I had to relearn how to walk, which sounds crazy, but after just a few weeks my body was incapable. A mixture of fear and weakness held me back. Every step was a negotiation with my own body. My knee would buckle, giving out without warning. Getting in and out of cars was excruciating. My gait was visibly altered: circumduction (compensation by swinging my leg in a circle) became my default because I simply couldn’t bend my knee properly due to residual swelling and pain.
Still, I was determined. That first day lying in a hospital bed, I began rehab. Starting with gentle swelling reduction, soft tissue work and AAROM (Active Assisted Range of Motion). Then came the hard part: ROM and rebuilding strength. Watching my once very strong quadricep, hamstring and calf muscles atrophy was heartbreaking. But as I always tell my patients, consistency is key, and I live that mantra every day.
The Mental Recovery
This injury wasn’t just physical, it was mentally exhausting. There were motivation fluctuations, progress plateaus, and moments of deep frustration. I had to utilise different mental health tools to manage. I journaled, leaned into therapy again, and stuck religiously to my treatment plan. Acknowledging that my mental health was just as important as the physical one in keeping me moving forward.
What I Wish I Knew on Day One
That healing isn’t linear—setbacks are normal, not failure
That asking for help is not a sign of weakness
That rest and patience are just as crucial as hard work
That celebrating small wins keeps you moving
That your mental state will fluctuate—and that’s okay
If I could tell past me anything, it would be: “You will come back stronger, but don’t rush it. You’re not just healing a ligament, you’re healing your whole self.”
Lessons as a Patient-Physio
Being injured gave me a completely new lens. I now understand, firsthand, how the healing process fluctuates—not just physically, but mentally. I’ve lived through the setbacks, the wins, the “how is this taking so long?” moments. Now I know what it takes to climb out of those deep holes.
It’s changed how I connect with my patients. I don’t just track their range of motion or progress exercises, I listen deeply. I help manage expectations, celebrate tiny wins, and talk them through the messy middle of recovery. Because I’ve been there.
Resilience in Motion
This recovery has been full of both sad and happy tears, along with laughter and smiles. There were moments I truly feared I’d never walk normally again, let alone jog, dance, or play sports. But progress, even when slow, is still progress. Step by step, things improved. I can now walk unaided, my knee no longer gives out, and I’m finally building strength and confidence again.
One major milestone? Jogging for the streetcar and catching it, without pain! Another? Taking my long-awaited trip to Mexico in April without the brace. I even wore heels.
Looking Ahead
In two weeks, I’ll return to the fracture clinic, hopefully with great news to share. I feel strong, stable, and hopeful that surgery is no longer needed.
To anyone going through something similar, here’s my advice:
Be patient.
Stay consistent.
Celebrate the smallest wins.
Surround yourself with a good support system.
Take care of your mental health as much as your body.
Always believe that your body is capable of incredible recovery.
This experience has made me even more passionate about supporting my patients through
every high and low. I’ve walked that path now, and I’ll be your loudest cheerleader every
step of the way.
Stay tuned—I'll be sharing my full recovery video soon. Until then, keep moving forward, even if it’s just an inch at a time.
This post was written by wellbe physiotherapist Kiana Wong. Click here to learn more about physiotherapy at wellbe.