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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Surgery
The goal of ACL surgery is to restore normal or almost normal stability in the knee and the level of function you had before the knee injury, limit loss of function in the knee, and prevent injury or degeneration to other knee structures.
Not all ACL tears require surgery. You and your doctor will decide whether rehabilitation (rehab) only or surgery plus rehab is right for you.
You may choose to have surgery if you:
- Have completely torn your ACL or have a partial tear and your knee is very unstable.
- Have gone through a rehab program and your knee is still unstable.
- Are very active in sports or have a job that requires knee strength and stability (such as construction work), and you want your knee to be as strong and stable as it was before your injury.
- Are willing to complete a long and rigorous rehab program.
- Have chronic ACL deficiency that is affecting your quality of life.
- Have injured other parts of your knee, such as the cartilage or meniscus, or other knee ligaments or tendons.
You may choose not to have surgery if you:
- Have a minor tear in your ACL (a tear that can heal with rest and rehab).
- Are not very active in sports and your work does not require a stable knee.
- Are willing to stop doing activities that require a stable knee or stop doing them at the same level of intensity. You may choose to substitute other activities that don't require a stable knee, such as cycling or swimming.
- Can complete a rehab program that stabilizes your knee and strengthens your leg muscles to reduce the chances that you will injure your knee again and are willing to live with a small amount of knee instability.
- Do not feel motivated to complete the long and rigorous rehab program necessary after surgery.
- You have medical problems that make surgery too risky.
For more information, see the topic:
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 14, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine Patrick J. McMahon, MD - Orthopedic Surgery | |
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