Other treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries includes physical rehabilitation to:

• Restore function and stability in the knee.
• Strengthen muscles around the knee.
• Protect the ACL and your knee joint from further injury.
• Allow you to return to most activities done before the injury. If rehabilitation is done without surgery, recurrent instability may be a problem during some movements.

You may choose to treat an ACL injury with rehabilitation alone. If you have surgery, rehabilitation will also be part of your treatment.

Other Treatment Choices

Physical rehabilitation

What To Think About

Physical rehabilitation to treat ACL injuries, both with and without surgery, can be a long and rigorous program.

Physical rehabilitation done before surgery helps your recovery after surgery.

Some people who initially choose not to have surgery eventually need to have it.

People who choose not to have ACL surgery may be less likely to return to competitive sports than those who choose to have it.