Will ACL reconstruction surgery affect teenage physical growth?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) provides stability to prevent the shin bone (tibia) sliding forwards and rotating in relation to the thigh bone (femur). Patients with a complete ACL tear may find that they are unable to play sports where they need to turn, sidestep or pivot rapidly e. g. soccer, basketball, because their knee keeps ‘giving way’. Everyone reacts differently to an ACL injury, and your friend may not have had exactly the same injury, activity level and symptoms that you have.

Hi there, The general rule of advice should be to ask your surgeon as, depending on the type of implant you have in the knee, there maybe certain restrictions on your activities. That said, as a general rule, it is probably best to avoid/limit high impact activities such as distance running or contact sports. for most people, non-impact sports, gym-based and light aerobic activities will be best. Swimming is an excellent way of keeping fit without over-stressing the knees, as is cycling and cross training.