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n The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is a very important ligament of the knee. To see what happens to a knee the this ligament torn, click on this link to see what is called an examination under anesthetic. This is performed just prior to the reconstructing commencing, to confirm the diagnosis.
If you look carefully you can see on the left picture, the tibia, or shin bone is higher than the right picture, with respect to the knee cap and femur.
ACL Tears
Initial Management The initial management of an ACL rupture is to commence physiotherapy to
It is a good idea to get back to work as soon as possible if your sick leave is limited and a knee reconstruction may be required.
Recovery from an ACL Injury A timeframe for recovery from an ACL injury is as follows: We perform the procedure usually as a day surgery procedure. You are therefore discharged the day of surgery.
Following the operation physiotherapy is commenced within a few days. You are discharged home on crutches, but you only need to use the crutches for as long as necessary and usually cease using crutches approximately 7-10 days following the surgery or sooner if pain allows.
It is hoped you can return to non-manual or clerical duties within 7-10 days from the procedure, but it is unlikely you will be able to spend all day on your feet until about 3 weeks following surgery.
By 6 weeks following surgery, you are able to walk for most of the day and usually the swelling has significantly settled and the range of motion of your knee has largely recovered. By 12 weeks, it is hoped you are walking fairly normally but it is not uncommon to have some subtle restriction in your movement and still some minor swelling. Gentle running can start at 6 weeks but generally does not progress until 12 weeks following surgery. You can start more advanced training at 12 weeks and it is hoped by 18 weeks you can progress to sprinting and sport specific exercises. It is reasonable to return to training in sport and unrestricted activities at 6 months, but it may be 9 months before you are fit to perform any competitive sport or return to high risk sports such as skiing.
The above is the average expectation and can vary.
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