Traditional ACL surgery meant a recovery time of up to a year. However, new procedures for treating ACL injuries have reduced this to around four months.

If an adult is injured and damages their anterior cruciate ligament, the tear (rupture) usually occurs in the upper or middle part of the ligament. However, in children and young people, the attachment of the ligament to the bone is a weak point and the ligament can be completely separated from the bone, possibly with a fragment of bone still attached.

In some cases, it may be possible to re-attach the bone fragment along with the ligament using keyhole surgery. However, ligament re-attachment can only be carried out in the first few weeks after an injury. In some cases, your consultant may also advise carrying out the All-Inside reconstruction technique and anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction alongside ACL surgery to improve the outcome.