The most important factor that will affect a patient’s recovery is his/her compliance to rest and perform the required physiotherapy exercises regularly.  It is not a surprise that the patient’s diligence is often reflected in the recovery time.  Following rehab, 90% of patients will return to their normal everyday life and their athletic activities (including professional athletes), while there are some that still complain of pain and joint stiffness many years after surgery.

Ok, so how long until I can play soccer and basketball again?

Usually recovery from ACL reconstructive surgery follows the following timeline:

First 1-3 weeks – on crutches

Early rehab – focus on reducing swelling and increasing range of motion of the joint

Later rehab – focus on increasing strength of muscles surrounding knee joint.  This will bring atrophied muscles back to usual size and strength, and improve the stability of the joint while taking some of the load off of the ligaments.

2-4 months post-op – can resume normal low demand activities, such as running

6-7 months post-op – can get back into high demand sports (basketball, soccer, etc)