The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of strong band of cord like tissue that runs across and inside your knee to keep it stable. Tearing the ACL is a common sports injury, which may happen during an awkward landing, impact or sudden change of direction that results in a twisting mechanism.
Our knee specialists can assess your knee and advise on the best way to treat it.
Our knee specialist will assess you in detail, this will involve asking you a series of questions, examining your knee, and will often involve an MRI scan. MRI scans help to confirm the diagnosis, assess the severity of your injury and help you and your consultant to plan your onward care.
Resting your knee is a key part of the recovery. Your consultant will discuss any further treatment options with you. These may depend on how stable your knee feels, your day-to-day function and your sporting profile. In certain cases, you may need to consider surgery to re-build your ACL (ACL Reconstruction). This involves rebuilding the ACL with other tissue — usually your own hamstrings or patella tendon. Your consultant will talk this through with you.