An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury is one of the most common reasons athletes — recreational and professional — visit a sports surgeon. The ligament rarely heals on its own, but that doesn't automatically mean surgery.
The decision depends on three things: how active your lifestyle is, the presence of associated meniscus or cartilage injury, and how stable the knee feels in everyday activity. For patients who want to return to football, badminton, basketball or running, arthroscopic ACL reconstruction is usually the right choice.
A structured rehab programme matters as much as the surgery. Most of our patients return to non-contact sport at 4-6 months and pivoting sport by 9-12 months.