Skip to Main Content
Care calculator »  ACL knee surgery »

When is ACL Surgery Necessary?

While the ACL is not necessary to participate in most activities, a damaged ACL can reduce performance while running, playing contact sports, and in some highly physical jobs. For this reason, if a patient is young, healthy, and active, an orthopedic surgeon will generally recommend that a repair be performed. 

Your doctor may suspect an ACL injury if you feel a sudden “pop” or pain in your knee while lifting heavy objects, participating in sports, or performing another physical activity. This injury results in knee pain, swelling, and discomfort with walking, but gradually improves over days to weeks. You may be left with a sensation that the knee is “giving out” during certain activities. 

To diagnose an ACL injury, your doctor will perform an “anterior drawer test” where they pull on the knee to determine if the ACL is intact. If they suspect an injury, they will usually order an MRI of the knee and refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to discuss the possibility of surgery.

What is ACL Knee Surgery?

Can an ACL Tear Heal Without Surgery?

Is ACL Surgery a Major Surgery?

How long does it take to recover from ACL surgery?

How soon can I return to work after ACL surgery?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.