Skis for ACL laxity

Question
Hi there
Great site. I  injured my left ACL about 14 yrs ago and have been skiing since with no problems (or surgery) until last year. I got a pair of 167cm K2 Recons and enjoy the whole mountain. My stats are 170cm in height and weigh 66kg. About a 50:50 groomed and off-piste. Last year, I had a low speed fall and twisted the right knee again. The MCL had a partial rupture and my OS tells me the ACL is mildly lax.  I'm a little worried about further injuries to the same knee.  My question is: is it ok to stay with my Recons which are a little heavy or should I swap for something shorter or lighter?  I am a little reluctant to get rid of them as I think they're excellent. at the back of my mind, I do wonder if I should've got the shorter ones initially...

Answer
Hi Chuck,

You've got a couple of questions built into this one, and since the answer may be valuable to many people, I'll do what I can.

There are a few aspects of ski design that can relate to ACL/MCL injuries. The first is sidecut, as a shirt radius ski can exact added leverage. The second is flex, where ironically a soft flex tail can have an impact, just as a stiff flex tail.

Lastly is width. Narrow waisted skis can stress the mcl and lcl, whereas wider skis seem to cause these ligaments less stress.  That said, skiing on ice using a wider waisted ski can tire the skier as well- since it takes greater effort to grip. It's a trade-off, and a happy medium is obviously the goal.

The weight of the ski has it's greatest influence on the leg in on the chairlift- although a heavier ski can tire the skier out over time. regardless, it is tough to make weight the primary issue. You could go really light, like a Goode- but you lose out on progressive response and dampness. There is always a tradeoff. The Mahres are skiing Goode skis now though- perhaps the ski is coming into it's own. www.goode.com

My initial recommendation is not to go shorter than the 167's- they become too squirrelly. The Recon is super for the 50/50 skiing you describe. The Salomon X-Wing may get you better performance at a lighter weight. At 170 cm, you should be fine in the 165-170 range.
One great concern is your boot alignment. Following an injury to the knee, especially one in which you experience recurring pain, your alignment can become critical. Get your boots checked out, with proper alignment, and you may find a significant ease on your knee.

I hope this helps you in the general direction of your question- feel free to ask a follow up.

Ron