Anterior cruciate ligament injury can be treated conservatively and surgically as well. After the first consultation, the orthopedist specialist advises, if conservative therapy is enough or surgery is recommended.
Besides the injury, several factors affect if conservative treatment or a surgery would be more effective treatment. The age, the build, the weight, the physical activity and the scope of activity of the patient all influence the suggested cure. In terms of a surgery, if the patient is a strong, active athlete, or doing a physical job, the knee joint would be loaded more, an ACL reconstruction is highly recommended. Nevertheless, the patient has lower weight, mostly sitting during his work, so the knee is not loaded constantly, conservative therapy might be enough.
In both cases, the aim is to restore the stability of the knee joint.
Conservative treatment is recommended, if the tear is smaller than 50% of the ligament and the patient has no sense of instability. Physiotherapy helps to reinforce the femoris muscle, to create ideal loading on the knee, and to restore the range of motion and painless move. In compliance with the therapy, the surgery can be avoided, but the chance of later cartilage damage is higher.