Is ACL Surgery 100% Successful or Not? Everything You Need to Know Before ACL Reconstruction

After being diagnosed with an ACL tear, most patients usually wonder about the success rate of ACL surgery through questions like “Is ACL surgery 100% successful or not?” There is no magic wand to ensure perfection. Not even surgeons can guarantee that a surgery will work perfectly for a particular patient. ACL reconstruction, however, is one of the few bone surgeries with the lowest risk and highest success rate that one can rely upon. It should have a range of 85% to 95% in most cases if a surgeon with experience is involved and appropriate rehabilitation after surgery is done.

Broadly, whether the injury happened in sports, accidents, or any falls, having an honest expectation on the outcomes of surgery will surely help patients to take the best possible decisions. Our article highlights what really is the success rate of ACL surgery, the things that may change your outcome, and the ways you can enhance your recovery and ultimately be active, happy, and healthy.

What Is an ACL Injury?

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is the strongest of the four major ligaments in the knee. The ligament connects the femur (the thigh bone) with the tibia (the leg bone) and functions primarily in the knee stabilization during movements such as walking, running, jumping, and pivoting.

An ACL tear can result from the following common factors:

• A quick spin on the knee joint
• Sports accidents that are mostly football, basketball, and cricket
• A misstep while landing after a jump
• Hit-and-run road traffic incidents
• Falls that break bones

Some common signs that can be identified include:

• A knee which seems as though it has popped or a feeling of a pop
• Quick onset of swelling
• Sloppy/loose knee feeling
• Hesitance/struggle in taking or making a step/turn
• Pain upon a sudden turn of direction

If there were no interventions, a person with the injury may get additional knee problems such as tearing of the meniscus, cartilage damage, and premature knee arthritis. In any case, one may suffer serious complications due to lack of surgical interventions and physical therapies.

Is ACL Surgery 100% Successful?

Unfortunately, there is no surgical cure that is fully effective for all conditions; hence, surgeons can’t say for certain that the operation will perfectly cure the patient. But this isn’t to say that ACL reconstruction doesn’t work at its peak. In reality, it’s one of the most highly recommended and least painful orthopaedic procedures to do.

There are several factors such as an individual patient’s capability in terms of healing, quality of postoperative care, surgical skill, and living style of each patient that can determine the end result. That is the reason for why doctors may give only an estimated success rate, usually 95% at the maximum!

What Is the Success Rate of ACL Surgery?

ACL reconstruction surgery is reported overall success rate in 85%-95%. Research has shown this number to be around 25-30 years.

Success in a general sense includes :

• Able to control joint movement without pain
• The knee joint is strong and stable
• Less pain
• More freedom of movement
• Going back to work
• Resuming recreational sports
• Having more and good long-term function in the knee

In case an athlete is recovering from the knee joint surgery then the possibility of him getting back to the sport is determined by the surgery as well as some of the factors like physical fitness level, rehabilitation programme, and trust in one’s new and better reconstructed knee joint.

Why Isn’t ACL Surgery Always 100% Successful?

There are many reasons why the final results may not meet the expectations set initially.

1. Severity of the Injury

Some patients have major associated injuries along with the ACL. These injuries typically include the following:

• Partial and complete tears of the meniscus
• Degree of articular cartilage damage
• Multiple ligament lesions
• Bone bruising

These additional injuries may have a serious effect upon recovery and long-term outcomes.

2. Surgical Expertise

Getting the graft in the right spot and the use of a proper surgical technique is a very delicate skill in doing a successful ACL reconstruction. A highly trained orthopedic surgeon who consistently does arthroscopic ACL surgeries is more probable to get very favorable results.

3. Rehabilitation Commitment

Surgery is the first step only. Recovery from injury is to a large extent depend on the following points :

• Physical therapy sessions
• Exercise to strengthen the muscle
• Proper balance exercises
• Slowly and safely reintroducing activities

When the person is not fully adhered to rehabilitation sessions it may result into the problems such as joint stiffness, muscular weakness, or even a knee that is constantly giving way.

4. Returning to Sports Too Early

One of the common reasons for graft failure is that a person starts participating in sports too soon before the new ligament has fully integrated at the surgical site. The patient will benefit most by strictly following the post-op time table and plan the surgeon has given.

5. Patient Health

Age, smoking, a high body mass index, insulin resistant or diabetes, nutrition, and even overall fitness could be factors that have great influence on postoperative healing and a speedy recovery through a knee ligament surgical repair.

What Procedure Do They Use for ACL Surgery?

Most surgeons today perform ACL reconstructions via a minimally invasive technique called arthroscopy.

The surgical procedure involves removing the torn ligament and a new ligament graft is created from one of:

• Patellar tendon
• Hamstring tendon
• Quadriceps tendon
• A graft from a donor (allograft) on rare occasions

Cutting open the knee is minimized because of the use of small incisions and a camera in the form of small device. As a result, the surgeon is able to put the new knee ligament without a great deal of damage to the other tissues surrounding the joint.

Patient benefits of this method are :

• Smaller scars
• Less pain
• Getting around quicker
• Clinical infection rate reduction

How Can You Improve the Success of ACL Surgery?

Following the below list can help ensure a successful surgery:

• Selecting an experienced ACL orthopedic surgeon will increase the chances of successful treatment. This may reduce the risk of complications following the surgery and improve functional outcome.
• Adequate conditioning of the knee prior to surgery is one important element of success in knee joint surgery.
• Going for all the physiotherapy sessions as prescribed by the health care team is essential.
• Keeping body weight under control.
• Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of proteins and vitamins to promote tissue regeneration.
• Smoking and excessive alcohol intake are some of the factors that increase the chances of an unsuccessful surgery.
• Always adhere to the instructions given by the health care provider after the surgery.
• Don’t push yourself back to sport without first checking it out with a medical professional.

Consistency during the rehabilitation process is as pivotal as the surgery performed.

Can You Live Normally After ACL Surgery?

Indeed one can. Many patients find their way back into a life similar to the one they led before:

• Walk around pain-free
• Navigate stairs with ease
• Drive
• Go back to work
• Get some physical activity done
• Play your recreational sports
• Play Competitive athletics (after clearance from the doctor)

ACL surgery is carried out primarily with the aim of restoring knee joint stability and thus enable the patient to do all the activities that he or she likes in a safer way while not having to worry about knee joint damage later.

Final Thoughts

So, is ACL surgery a 100% certainty for full recovery of function and stability? Definitely not, but there are very few people who have an unsuccessful outcome of the surgery.

ACL surgery is nowadays regarded as one of the most predictable surgical procedures owing to the use of minimally invasive surgery, skilled orthopedists and proper postoperative rehabilitation.

The result, however, is highly individualized and influenced by a great number of factors such as, severity of the tear, surgeon’s skill, patient’s adherence to rehabilitation program and postoperative instruction compliance. Working intimately with your surgeon and physiotherapist will greatly contribute to the rehabilitation of your knee to a stable and strong joint.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is ACL surgery always successful?

Negative. Surgery is never 100% sure to be completely successful.

ACL surgery however, has the very good success of 85% to 95%, if the patient receives good rehabilitation after the surgery.

2. What is the average success rate of ACL reconstruction?

According to the majority of clinical studies, between 85% and 95% of patients achieve satisfactory or superior results, including knee stability restoration and resumption of daily activities.

3. Can an ACL graft fail after surgery?

Yes. Although rare, graft failure can happen because of a new injury, wrong rehabilitation, infection, or early return to sports.

4. How long does it take to recover from ACL surgery?

Generally, most people get better enough to start living their daily lives again between 4 to 6 weeks after the operation. Getting back to full sports usually takes around 9 to 12 months and depends partly on each person\’s healing and progress.

5. Can I play sports again after ACL surgery?

Definitely! Most of the athletes come back to playing both recreational and competitive sports, provided they have completed their rehabilitation and are cleared by their orthopedic surgeon.

6. How can I improve my chances of a successful ACL surgery?

Pick a highly skilled orthopedic surgeon, stick to your physiotherapy plan without skipping any, lead a physically sound lifestyle, stay away from smoking, and don’t resume sports until your surgeon says your knee is ready after you have operated on it. These measures are going to enhance your chances of getting an excellent long-term result drastically.