Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction

Need to know

• What are the treatment options for ACL tears? icon plus

  First, your consultant will offer you a thorough assessment. This will include questions, a physical examination and an MRI scan. Following this, they will be able to discuss the options available to you, including non-surgical treatment as well as a surgical reconstruction.

  If you wish to consider surgery, your consultant will discuss the following with you:

  • The type of graft tissue to be used (either your own or from a donor)
  • The potential risks of surgery, including the risk of failure
  • The planned benefits of your surgery
  • Your rehabilitation programme
  • Success rates, and timing of return to sport

• Is ACL reconstruction major surgery? icon plus

  While ACL surgery is very common, it’s considered major surgery. The procedure is  invasive and typically carried out under general anesthetic.

  Recovery times for this type of surgery can be fairly long and, despite the very high success rate, the surgery comes with the risk of complications, just as any other surgery would.

   

• What happens if you don’t repair a torn ACL? icon plus

  If an ACL tear is left untreated, it can develop into a chronic ACL deficiency. This can lead to serious consequences in the future, such as increasing weakness in the joint.

  A 2017 study showed that those with ACL tears that are left untreated increase the risk of further damaging the knee by 1% for every month left between injuring or tearing your ACL and getting surgery to repair it.

• Can your ACL heal naturally? icon plus

  If you’ve suffered very minor tears (sprains) to your ACL, these may be able to heal without surgery. However, in most cases, there won’t be any blood supply to the damaged ligament, meaning your ACL won’t be able heal on its own.

• How painful is ACL surgery? icon plus

  During the surgery itself, you’ll typically be under a general anesthetic (as advised by your consultant), and so won't experience any pain. This will also ensure that the muscles surrounding the joint are relaxed enough to conduct the procedure.

  Towards the end of the operation, a local anesthetic may be used around the knee and joint area to help limit the pain.

  As with all surgical procedures, there may be some pain following the procedure. However, this can be managed with most standard pain-relief medication.

• How to prepare for ACL surgery icon plus

  Before having the surgery, you may need to wait for any swelling to go down and to regain a full range of movement in your knee as this will make recovering from surgery easier. If your knee is still sore and stiff, pre-surgery physiotherapy will be required to prepare your knee for your operation. As part of our ongoing commitment to the gold standard requirement for pre-operative physiotherapy, your consultant may also advise you to wait until the muscles at the front and back of your thigh are as strong as possible.

• ACL surgery recovery icon plus

  Full recovery from ACL surgery can take anywhere from six months to a year.

  In the first few days after surgery, you’ll see a physiotherapist, who will give you a rehabilitation plan to follow. This fully personalized plan will consist of exercises that have been chosen specifically for you and your recovery, depending on the extent of the damage your knee has suffered and the level of physical activity you’re looking to return to.

  At two weeks after surgery, most patients can get around on crutches, after six months, they can return to playing sports. However, it’s important to remember that recovery rates vary from person to person.