Long-term knee health

ACL injuries are serious knee injuries that can affect your knee throughout your whole life. This is why it is important to think carefully about what you do next.

People with ACL injuries are 4 to 6 times as likely to have joint changes seen on X-ray 10 years after the injury than people who have not injured their ACL. These changes are more common in people who have had ACL surgery than in people who have had rehab without surgery. However, not everyone with joint changes has pain or other symptoms.

Repeated joint injuries, such as those that occur when you return to sport before you are ready, increase the risk of joint changes.

When knee joint changes are linked to pain or other symptoms, this is called osteoarthritis (also known as OA). Past injury is one factor that increases the likelihood of osteoarthritis. A small portion (about 15%) of people who have osteoarthritis have a knee joint replacement at some point. People who have had an ACL injury are 6 times more likely to have a knee joint replacement than those who have not injured their ACL. Regular exercise can help improve joint health long term and is recommended for people who have had ACL injuries to prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis later in life.