Full ACL tear on 53 yr old.

Hello ppophil,

Did you get the ACL surgery in January eventually? If so, I'd be glad to hear how it was and how you are doing since.

I face a simillar dilemma: ACL reconstruction surgery or not, and the question whether the knee is going to function better and be stronger after surgery is a major factor in the decision.

Right now, I am doing PT and strengthening excercise and I'm healthy and strong generally, but I feel that I cannot rely on my injured knee. I was hoping to avoid surgery but I'm having doubts because the knee doesn't feel "reliable".
I'm doing karate for years and a bit of other martial arts too.

I hope that you can give me an insight to what happens "ever after" the surgery.

Thank you!

you want help you got it, i manage a medical company the prevents surgery and will eliminate pain please contact anthony @ 952-431-9708

Well, not all ACL tears require surgery. Most ACL tears never heal on their own, but they may become asymptomatic (meaning they don't cause pain or instability). It sounds like your tear wasn't as bad as it could have been, so you might be able to live a completely normal life without surgery. However, without an operation, you're more likely to reinjure yourself or further aggrevate the current tear, especially if you plan to continue playing sports. Honestly, if you decide not to get the surgery, you'll probably have to completely stop playing the cutting sports.

Either way, you should probably talk to your doctor and see what he/she thinks, since he/she knows more about your injury and how it might react than we do. Keep in mind that you don't have to have the surgery right now. You can always put it off and see how things go. If you decide you'd prefer to have the operation, you can reschedule it for a later date.

Here are some more resources for you to look at.

ACL Injury Treatment

ACL Injury Expert Q&A