Why does it take so long to recover from an ACL injury?

ACL rupture is a common sports injury that requires surgical reconstruction. The longer you delay in having surgery the more damage you suffer; our goal is to have you in surgery within 48 hours of the tear. While a torn ACL is suggested by the Lachmann test, the formal diagnosis requires an MRI of your knee. Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction by an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in Sports Medicine is recommended for those in whom it is safe to undergo anesthesia. The recovery from ACL reconstruction is usually 6 –9 months for most of us, and 9-12 months for athletes; but once complete there are no restrictions, and you can return to full activity.

The ACL is a strong ribbon that connects the thigh and leg bones. Under normal circumstances the ACL prevents the shin from moving forward on the thigh bone. People who tear their ACL in competition often hear a pop, followed by inability to bear weight on the knee and swelling. ACL injuries are the most common type of ligament injury. ACL tears are actually more common in women than men.

A torn ACL is formally diagnosed with MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the knee; however, the Lachman test is a good predictor. For this test the knee is bent slightly, the doctor or trainer applies gentle traction to the leg bone while stabilizing the knee cap; if the leg moves excessively forward on the thigh, then the ACL has an 86% chance of being torn. ACL injuries typically swell up in the hours after an accident; performing the Lachman test before the swelling sets in is helpful and is on par with the MRI (87%) for demonstrating a torn ACL.

Sometimes it is not as clear what happened. A lot of weekend warriors have knee pain during a sport and are not sure what to do next. The most common cause of knee pain is arthritis, which comes on gradually as you age and can be made worse during exertion. Other than arthritis, the most common issues are a torn ACL or meniscus injury. The meniscus is a horseshoe shaped cartilage. There are two menisci in the knee which support the thigh bone. If you have knee pain it can be hard to tell at first whether it is a torn ACL or meniscus.

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He forgot to mention that it takes very long because of lack of blood flow in the knee were the acl is, for example the mcl heals in 4 weeks and acl in 9 - 12 months

[harshjain]

Its been 6 minths since my acl surgery and all i can do is just walk. My left leg is not yet straight

[henrybrain]

I have a question, im one year since injury, my knee is okay full range of movment and reletiviliy strong. Ive got surgery in a month can i expect to have as bad post opp pain and lack of motion as someone who has recrntly injured? Or will i be better off

[husnainkhan]

My 9 months have done but still not recover give me suggestion what should i do

[shyamagupta]

2 months after acl reconstruction I felt my knee buckled .. is it normal or my acl reconstruction failed..I was probably folding my leg while siting

[brendisudi]

Does a partial tear gets operated the same way a complete tear does?

[moneyaint]

I have a question, I’m going onto two weeks with my knee injury. Just found out I have a fracture on my tibial, right beneath the knee cap, both lateral and medial meniscus have a tear, and a complete acl tear along with a small piece of bone cartilage that got broken off which is full thickness chondral loss? Lateral femora condyle? I have edema which is too much fluid in my tissue along with knee effusion and also prepatellar inflammation. Idk but they’re going to grow my cells in a lab then surgical implant them. I’m scared. My question do I HAVE to get surgery for my complete acl tear?

[SG-vhze]

Don't know if I'll get a reply for this.. My case is that I've had acl reconstruction 3 months ago.. Recovery is quite good.
But i feel some amount of looseness/laxity/grinding sensation in the knee while trying to walk normal.
Is it a common thing after 3 months of surgery. ??

[Blackhawk.]

Ten years ago I was squatting like a catcher and all of a sudden, my knee felt hot and swollen. Next couple of weeks were the same.

Today, I squat like a catcher and after about a minute, when I stand up, the inside of my knee hurts and I can’t straighten it until walk it off. After 15 seconds of walking around I’m back to normal. No pain or anything while walking, running or cycling.

You think my ACL is damaged?
Torn meniscus?

When I stand up I feel pain like something is pinched

[techfuture]

Are there any chances that Acl will grow back? I also want to know whether it's okay if I choose not to get surgery for partial aCL because I can walk without any pain.

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