Have I torn my ACL again? How do I know if I have re-damaged my ACL graft?
After ACL surgery, many people worry that they have re-damaged their ACL or torn their ACL graft. If you are concerned about this, know that this is a common concern. You have undergone a stressful operation and have probably experienced significant pain and limitations in your movement. In your eyes, the worst thing would be if you damaged the ACL graft and now had to go through it all again! Many people worry that simple activities such as bending and straightening their knee after surgery can damage the ACL. Others worry that simply by putting weight on their leg they may damage their ACL graft. These activities do not result in an ACL graft tear. In this video, Lauren Youssef, a physiotherapy student at the University of Toronto, explains why your ACL graft is unlikely to re-rupture after surgery with normal movements and recovery exercises. If you’d also like to learn more about the ACL recovery timeline, we have a great blog on that topic here.
To read the entire blog and learn more about ACL re-injury, read Lauren’s blog “Did I re-torn my ACL graft after surgery?”
Make sure you do everything you need to recover after your ACL injury or surgery by downloading Curovate from the links below. Curovate is a physiotherapy app that provides daily video-guided exercises for each day of your recovery. Curovate also tracks your progress and gives you the ability to measure your knee’s range of motion using just your phone.
If you need more tailored help after your ACL surgery or ACL injury, check out our Virtual Physiotherapy page to book your 1-on-1 video session with a physiotherapist.
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Other blogs related to ACL injuries:
1. ACL injury. (2021, March 10). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350738
2. Beischer, S., Gustavsson, L., Senorski, E. H., Karlsson, J., Thomeé, C., Samuelsson, K., & Thomeé, R. (2020). Young athletes who return to sports within nine months of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are seven times more likely to sustain new injuries than those who delay their return. The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physiotherapy, 50(2), 83–90.
3. Kaeding, C. C., Pedroza, A. D., Reinke, E. K., Huston, L. J., MOON Consortium, & Spindler, K. P. (2015). Risk factors and predictors of subsequent ACL injury in both knees after ACL reconstruction: prospective analysis of 2488 primary ACL reconstructions from the MOON cohort. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(7), 1583–1590.
4. Lai, C., Ardern, CL, Feller, JA, & Webster, KE (2018). Eighty-three percent of elite athletes return to sport before injury after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review with meta-analysis of return to sport, graft rupture rates and performance outcomes. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(2), 128–138.
5. Nagelli, CV, & Hewett, TE (2017). Should the return to sport be postponed until two years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? Biological and functional considerations. Sports Medicine (Auckland, NZ), 47(2), 221–232.
6. Noyes, F. R., Huser, L. E., Ashman, B., & Palmer, M. (2019). Anterior cruciate ligament graft conditioning required to prevent abnormal Lachman and twist shift after ACL reconstruction: a robotic study of 3 ACL graft constructs. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 47(6), 1376–1384.
7. Paterno, MV, Rauh, MJ, Schmitt, LC, Ford, KR, & Hewett, TE (2014). Incidence of second ACL injuries 2 years after primary ACL reconstruction and return to sport. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(7), 1567–1573.
8. Samuelsen, BT, Webster, KE, Johnson, NR, Hewett, TE, & Krych, AJ (2017). Hamstring autograft versus patellar tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction: is there a difference in graft failure rate? A meta-analysis of 47,613 patients. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 475(10), 2459–2468.
