Who needs surgery after an anterior cruciate ligament injury?
It depends on primarily two things: the severity of the injury and the level of physical activity the person would like to maintain. “Once the ACL is torn, it’s gone forever,” Sleeper says. “If some fibers are intact, it is badly sprained and surgery may not be essential.” But fewer people are foregoing surgery completely. Surgery is recommended to everyone, but each case is different, according to Chang. Q: Who can do without reconstructive surgery without severe consequences? A: “Someone who is older and not participating—or interested—in a lot of intense physical activity may not have surgery,” Chang says. But he or she would still need to do physical therapy to learn how to handle the instability in their knee. Without surgery or proper rehabilitation, most people would never be able to use the injured muscles properly. Q: If Charlie Weis were to decide against the procedure, what risks are involved? A: The ACL is the main ligament that controls anterior translation (forward moveme
