Dr. Chad Smalley, Center for Sports Medicine & OrthopaedicsQ: I recently tore my ACL and am having surgery to repair it soon. Will I ever be able to return to competitive sports?
A: ACL tears are one of the most common knee injuries in athletes who participate in high-demand sports that involve sudden stops, jumping or rapid changes in direction. Due to the resulting instability of the ACL-deficient knee, an athlete involved in agility sports will most likely require surgery to safely return to sports.
The large majority of ACL tears cannot be simply sutured back together, but, instead, typically require a full reconstruction. Surgeons will generally use a graft as a scaffolding for your new ligament to grow onto during the rehabilitation process. In the post-operative period, an accelerated physical therapy program is started immediately to help patients regain motion and strength. The final phase of rehabilitation is individualized to specifically prepare each athlete for the demands of their chosen sport. Although the overall recovery can take nine to 12 months and involves a lot of hard work for the motivated patient, the majority of athletes are able to return to the same level of competition as they were before injury.
– Dr. Chad Smalley, Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society