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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffIn the short term, you'll have to stop doing the activities that cause pain until your injured ligament has healed. You may have to take time off work, school and sports.
Other complications may include:
- Torn meniscus. In many cases, an ACL injury also results in a tear of the meniscus — the cartilage in your knee between the thighbone and shinbone. A cartilage tear increases the risk of future joint problems.
- Arthritis. A common long-term complication is the early onset of knee osteoarthritis, in which joint cartilage deteriorates and its smooth surface roughens. About half the people with an ACL tear develop osteoarthritis in the involved joint 10 to 20 years later. Arthritis may occur even if you have surgery to reconstruct the ligament.
References
- Friedberg RP. Anterior cruciate ligament injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- ACL injury: Does it require surgery? American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00297. Accessed Dec. 18, 2008.
- Friedberg RP. Patient information: Anterior cruciate ligament injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Hergenroeder AC. Treatment of knee injuries in the young athlete. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Spindler KP, et al. Anterior cruciate ligament tear. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359:2135
- Murray MM. Current status and potential of primary ACL repair. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2009;28:51
