Knee
ACL Surgery Recovery Timeline
Recovery is criteria-based. Calendar months are a guide, not a finish line.
The first fortnight
The job is to get the knee straight, wake the quadriceps, and keep swelling from becoming a second injury. Many people are surprised that extension (straightening) is more urgent than forcing flexion. Wound care and clot-prevention advice from the hospital team come first.
Strength before running
Running on a weak, swollen knee is not a milestone to celebrate. Most protocols introduce jogging only after motion, gait and strength are adequate. If meniscus repair was done, flexion and weight-bearing rules may be stricter.
Sport is a late chapter
Cutting sports are often considered only after hop testing, strength symmetry and movement quality look acceptable, commonly in the later months of the first year. Returning because a tournament is next weekend is a recognised way to injure the graft or the other knee.
Related: ACL reconstruction · Rehabilitation resources
E-E-A-T
Written for patients, reviewed as medical education
This page is educational. It is not personal medical advice and is not a substitute for examination, imaging review or treatment planned in clinic.
- Author / reviewer
- Dr. Rahul Kumar
- Qualifications
- MBBS, M.S. Orthopedics, MRCS (Edinburgh), FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine
- Last reviewed
- 2026-10-29
- Last updated
- 2026-10-29
Awaiting medical review by Dr. Rahul Kumar