Are ACL Injuries Forever?
Don't let an ACL injury limit you. Surgery can repair tears and keep you moving for longer than you might think.
Written by Patient Care Team Lead, Jonathan , BN (Hons)
Medical Review by Chief Medical Officer, Mr. Dan Howcroft , FRCS (Tr&Orth), MBBS
Published: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
It’s a common misconception that an ACL injury means that your long term active ability will never be the same. If you’re an active person, your mind immediately jumps to ‘game over, it was fun while it lasted.’ However, this is often not the case for most patients.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band that connects the thigh bone to the main bone in your lower leg and helps to hold the knee joint in place. A tear in your ACL can be the result of anything from twisting your knee in a funny direction to a nasty tackle on the football pitch.
After ACL surgery, there will be a period of recovery time. You’ll need to discuss the details and progress with your surgeon, but a number of surgeons agree that you can return to sports 9 months after surgery. There will be a physiotherapist helping you regain full movement and strength in your knee, and from there, it’s not out of the ordinary for you to return to your pre-injury quality of life and mobility.
To the extremely active, this is a big deal, but rest assured you don’t need to see it as more than a setback. It's important to keep in mind, though, that a history of other knee surgery, smoking or being overweight will affect your results in the long run. Long term outcomes of a surgery like this can keep you moving comfortably more than a decade after.
Speak to one of our Patient Care Advisers today to find out more.
