A few things you should know up front:

• Not every ACL tear needs surgery.

• The graft choice matters. It should be tailored to your knee, your sport, and your goals.

• Rehab is half the operation. The best surgery in the world fails without good physio and good rehab.

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury can affect anyone from a recreational skier or weekend athlete to a young competitive or professional sportsperson.

ACL injuries commonly occur during a sudden change of direction, pivot or awkward landing. You may hear or feel a “pop”, followed by swelling and a feeling that the knee is unstable or wants to give way.

The right treatment depends on your age, sporting and activity goals, the pattern of your ACL injury, knee stability and whether there are associated injuries to the meniscus, cartilage or other ligaments.

Getting the diagnosis right

Assessment of an ACL injury combines:

• Your injury story — how the injury occurred and how your knee has behaved since.

• Clinical examination — including specific tests to assess knee stability.

• MRI imaging — to assess the ACL tear pattern and identify associated meniscus, cartilage or other ligament injuries.

Not all ACL tears are the same. Understanding where and how the ligament has torn can influence treatment. In selected injuries, the native ACL may be suitable for ACL repair rather than reconstruction.

When should I see an ACL specialist?

Specialist assessment should be considered if:

• your MRI confirms an ACL tear

• your knee continues to give way or feel unstable

• you want to return to pivoting or contact sport, or manual duties on uneven ground or requiring pivoting

• you have an associated meniscus or other ligament injury

• you have previously had ACL surgery and sustained another injury.

Our aim is to understand your injury, your knee and what you want to get back to before recommending treatment.