Study Finds No Benefit in Immediate Surgery for ACL Tears

The Arthritis Foundation—December 6, 2017

The Arthritis Foundation reported on a study that claimed patients who tore their ACL saw improvements in pain and function if they delayed surgery and went to physical therapy first.

HSS sports medicine surgeon David W. Altchek, MD commented on the study’s findings. While he has seen this approach work for more inactive patients, Dr. Altchek noted this option doesn’t work for everyone. 

"This whole concept is really dangerous when you apply it to young athletes," he said.

"The big problem when you don’t fix someone’s ACL and they go back to sports, they are at high risk of tearing their meniscus. So it’s very risky to tell a young athlete, let’s go back to sports without getting it fixed," said Dr. Altchek.

Read the full article at arthritis.org