Your rehabilitation post ACL repair can take up to nine to twelve months post-surgery, depending on the type of activity you want to return to. Sports involving dynamic movements such as rugby, football or hockey, may take longer to return to depending on your injury and the progress you make through your rehabilitation.

The purpose of this information is to inform and guide you through the exercise stages of your rehabilitation following your ACL surgery. In conjunction with your therapist this may be done using various methods of consultations such as telephone, video calls and/or face-to-face. This guide is based on current evidence-based information and progressed appropriately depending on your responses to meeting specific criteria during the rehabilitation period.

It is hoped that this information will help facilitate your rehabilitation and help you keep your rehab on track and prevent you from doing too much or too little. It is important to ensure that you work within your capability and do not overload your knee to the extend where you risk re-injury. This will prevent any damage to your ligament and enable you to return to the activities you want to do. Your physiotherapist will help you progress accordingly.

Always seek advice from your physiotherapist or consultant if you have any concerns.

Below are the main principles when gradually rehabilitating your knee following ACL-R are:

  • Control pain and swelling.
  • Gradually restore full range of motion.
  • Improve lower limb strength and joint stability.
  • Improve your standing balance and co-ordination.
  • Improve your general cardiovascular fitness.

There are up to five phases to rehabilitating your knee after ACL injury and surgical reconstruction (Table 1).

Phase Post-surgery time
Phase 1 Immediately post surgery Approx 1 to 3 weeks
Phase 2 Increasing activity Approx 4 to 6 weeks
Phase 3 Independence & maintenance Approx 7 to 13 weeks
Phase 4 Commence low impact exercises Approx 13 weeks to 9 months
Phase 5 Return to sport 9 months and beyond

Table 1: Phases in ACL knee rehabilitation post surgical reconstruction (dependent on other knee injuries sustained at time e.g. bone bruising, medial ligament sprain etc)

NB: The timescales above are only a guide and will vary depending on injury type, surgical procedure and age. Always seek advice from your physiotherapist/consultant.

Table 2: Average time frames for return to normal activities of daily living

Activity Time (weeks/months from the surgery)
Driving Up to 4 to 6 weeks depending on advice with your insurance company. Or as soon as full pain free knee motion with no locking
Return to work Sedentary/Desk based activities usually within 4 to 6 weeks. May be earlier if working from home.
Heavy duty work e.g. construction, usually 3 months.
Sports Cycling/swimming usually after 8 weeks
Jogging/running usually after 3 months post surgery.
Golf usually after 3 to 4 months post surgery.
Jumping/hopping/cutting activities/changing direction usually after 12 weeks.

NB: The timescales above are only a guide and will vary depending on injury type, surgical procedure and age. Always seek advice from your physiotherapist/consultant.

See Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACL-R) Telerehabilitation.pdf