The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most easily injured ligament in the knee. ACL injuries impair our knee function and prevents us from doing heavy activities like sports. Patients with ACL injuries complain of unstable or loose feeling in their knees as well as pain.

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ACL injuries also have long term effect on the knee health. If left untreated, the cartilage in a knee with a torn ACL will develop degeneration or osteoarthritis after 5-10 years. This has been shown in published research. Patients who develop knee osteoarthritis will feel knee pain and stiffness and in severe cases, may require knee replacement surgery.

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Injury of the ACL is best confirmed by an MRI scan. Patients who sustain knee injury after sports or accidents can undergo an MRI scan. The ACL is very important to stabilise the knee and prevent the knee cartilage from wearing out and developing knee osteoarthritis. If the MRI shows that the ACL is torn, the best treatment is surgery. Conservative treatment cannot heal the ACL. The torn ACL cannot reconnect itself. Even with intensive physiotherapy, patients with torn ACLs will continue to have knee instability and are at an increased risk of future knee osteoarthritis. There is no medicines or supplements which we can consume to heal the torn ACL.

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Patients with torn ACLs cannot do sports as it will make the knee instability worse and cause the knee cartilage to suffer damage at a faster rate. Patients with unstable knees who have confirmed ACL injury can consider surgical treatment, which is ACL reconstruction surgery.

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