Managing an ACL injury in a child or teenager requires particular care. Treatment needs to consider growth remaining, knee stability and associated meniscus injuries.

Does every young person need ACL surgery?

Not every ACL tear requires surgery. Some young people can be managed successfully with rehabilitation, while others may benefit from ACL repair or reconstruction.

For an active young person, repeated episodes of the knee giving way can cause further permanent damage to the meniscus and cartilage. Early specialist assessment helps determine the best approach for their individual knee.

ACL surgery and growth

Children are not simply smaller adults. If growth plates are still open, the amount of growth remaining needs to be considered when planning surgery.

The surgical technique, graft choice, and future need for guided growth or realignment surgery can then be tailored to the young person’s age, growth, knee anatomy and sporting goals.

Rehabilitation & Return to Sport

Rehabilitation is just as important as surgery. We work closely with your physiotherapist to rebuild strength, movement control and confidence before returning to sport.

Young athletes have a much higher risk of another ACL injury. Return to sport should therefore be guided by adequate recovery and objective criteria based Return to Sport testing, with the goal of getting back safely and reducing the risk of further injury.