WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS IF I HAVE AN ACL TEAR?
The treatment options following an ACL tear are individualized for each patient depending on age, activity level, and the presence or absence of injury to other structures within the knee. In general, surgery is recommended for young patients who are active and for those in whom the ACL tear is associated with injury to other structures in the knee. Nonoperative (nonsurgical) treatment is recommended in older more sedentary patients. The main reason to have surgery is to restore stability to the knee so it no longer gives out or slides too far forward. This is uncomfortable and painful during activity. The other reason (perhaps the most important reason) is to protect the cartilage in the knee from being damaged. It is especially important to protect the meniscus cartilages in the knee. The meniscal cartilage is a fibrous type of cartilage that sits between the ends of the tibia and femur, and is attached to the lining of the joint. There are two separate meniscal cartilages in the kne
