which shin pads after ACL injury?

[mickey007a 0]

Does anybody know which shin pads might be best? I am just returning after rehabing an ACL tear. I had been told the Jofa 9090s were a good pick. I see there are still some of the older 8090s available as well for a lot less (are they the same pad?). Another recommendation was the Easton Synergy shin pads.

Any input appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[Chadd 916]

8090 and 9090 are pretty much the same thing.

[stevoc 0]

I am using the Mission Matrix pads after using some Koho something-or-other (which I had on when my injury occurred) and notice a big difference in the two. The Mission seem to have a "pocket" that allows my knee to float a bit. If I fall on my sore knee, I don't feel it as much as in the koho and can get up pretty quickly without lingering pain.

Just my experience.

[GeeZa32 0]

(I do not have the synergy shin pad but..)

I think the Synergy has the Gen IV Air bladder which really does wonders when it comes to impact energy dispersal. I have the synergy EP and have taken direct drops to the ground and you can feel the impact of your elbow hitting the air bladder, which is like a nice soft cushion and feel absolutely no pain from the fall at all. Truely a nice and very protective material/feature.

[Fonya 0]

Easton Synergys(expensive),bauer 8000's and ccm pro tacks are all great pads that I was looking to get. I ended up getting the ccms but they would all be a great choice. Keep in mind i was looking at this pads for protection, although the ccms were right up there with weight with the synergy.

[c_joblin 0]

I would suggest the Jofa's, I've found them to be the best shin pads bar none. however it's probably best to just try some on and see how they feel, that will give you some idea of what you're looking for.

[43%burnt 0]

i completely destroyed my acl and mcl in my left knee two years ago in one motion. when i came back, jofa was the only answer for me. 8090s ever since.

[mikebu 0]

Does it really matter what kind of shinpad you wear after knee surgery assuming you get a good quality one. Shouldn't you be more worried about tearing ligaments again? No shin pad is going to function like a knee brace...

[Sniper#39 0]

Unless you've had the (dis)pleasure of returning after an injury like this it would be difficult to understand the question. It was really about comfort and confidence in the pad for me when I came back.

I found the Jofa's to be the best choice for me as well, but I wouldn't discount others, everyone has a different preference.

You really can't go wrong with Jofa's - bad knee or not - they really are just Good pads - no matter what the need.

Snipe

[Accord 0]

Does it really matter what kind of shinpad you wear after knee surgery assuming you get a good quality one.  Shouldn't you be more worried about tearing ligaments again?  No shin pad is going to function like a knee brace...

The type of shinpads you wear after an ACL injury is absolutely crucial, you want to look for a pad that has very strong side to side rigitidy where the knee pad meets the shin pad joint. You'll want to stay away from TPS and Bauer pads for this very reason, both companies make great pads (infact I play in TPS pads) but they are very "flexible" in the knee joint area and that's not something you want after a serious knee injury.

The Jofa 9090's are definitely the way to go and the knee area is more rigid than any other pad on the market.

[mickey007a 0]

thanks for all the great input!!!

I definitely agree it's going to be not only the protection, but also the confidence in the gear. I have a brace to wear for the first few months which also doesn't guarantee 100% protection, but it's good to invest to cut the odds and be safe until everything's back to normal.

Going to the store this weekend to check out all those pads that everyone suggested with the brace.

[dix0r 0]

i'm sure i have less gear experience than most people on here as i haven't been playing for very long...so take this with a grain of salt...

but of all the shin guards i've tried on, the mission M-1's felt the best, and it looked like they had a lot of protection. definitely worth trying out IMO.

i'd like to get some but i can't really justify it right now...my cheap CCM's are fine for the league i'm in and i'd probably be better off spending the money on something else, like skates that fit right ;]

[fatwabbit 93]

i had my acl torn a couple of years back, and after the i got my knee reconstructed, i basically went back to using my bauer 1000s... also, i got a knee brace last year to help stabalise the knee even more (Innovation Sports CTi2 Hockey Knee Brace covered by the insurance company). I'm still using the Bauer 1000s, surprised they still hold up pretty well. Just gotta strap the shin guards down a bit tighter so that they stay in place... other than that, i think any knee guards should be alright....

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

Does it really matter what kind of shinpad you wear after knee surgery assuming you get a good quality one. Shouldn't you be more worried about tearing ligaments again? No shin pad is going to function like a knee brace...

I'd have to agree. I had ACL reconstruction too. The shin guard isn't going to help you prevent re-injuring it. Hopefully, your doc/insurance sanctioned a high end, protective knee brace of some sort.

Short of that, what I'd recommend by way of shin guards would be something that well cushions the knee cap (since they use the patela tendon to replace the torn ACL). Also, when you first start skating again, you'll note a lot of swelling around the knee cap area, so it's nice to have something that cushions you well in that area for when you inevitably fall.

[fatwabbit 93]

when i started playing hockey again after my acl injury, i started to get a bit more fussy with the padding in my shin guards. I stuck with the bauers, but also used another pair of pads similar to the ones that volleyball players use (so that when the dive for the ball, their knees dun get busted up). It may look wierd and bulky, but really softens the fall a LOT!!!

some of my buddies gave me a bad time in the changing room about it, but one or two of them tried it out in the end... i think nike and adidas makes pretty cool looking ones too.

[LetsGoWings13 0]

the bauer 8000 lightspeeds i have are very nice but they are slightly bulky but not to terrible. there really comfy and extreamly protective.