Can ACL Surgery Be Repeated? Assessing Risks and Recovery Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries frequently occur in individuals active in sports can cause the need for ACL reconstruction surgery. While some patients are able to make it through their first surgery under ideal circumstances and recover, others face a high risk of re-injury.ACL (ad)
Reinjury Potential
Reconstruction of the ACL can indeed tear again. This risk is multifactorial and dependent on the physical stresses placed across a knee during its recovery, the rehabilitation protocol followed after surgery, along with patient-related factors such as age and level of activity. Studies show that the rate of reinjury can up to 30% with an athlete returning to high-impact sport post ACL reconstruction12.
Surgical Considerations
Second surgeryThe state of the new ligament and structures surrounding it must be evaluated when deciding on a second operation. A revision ACL reconstruction can be performed, but more extensive surgery may be needed to clean up scar tissue and repair other damage that has occurred since the first operation3.
Rehabilitation Importance
To prevent re-injury, effective rehabilitation is just as important as recovery. Recent research has highlighted the importance of individualised rehabilitation programmes for strength, range of motion and functional progression back to sport. In the setting of this injury, in order to have sufficient healing and graft incorporation patient is typically recommended not to come back for competitive playing till at least 9-12 months45.
In conclusion, although the success rate of ACL reconstruction is high, there remains a significant risk for reinjury and proper management requires attention to both surgical and rehabilitative approaches.
