Prevention and Management of Loss of Motion in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery

Loss of knee range of motion after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a very disabling problem. Loss of motion can not only lead to the development of anterior knee pain, inability to return to sports, and persistent weakness but also be a significant cause of the early arthritic changes that are often seen with ACL injuries. Unfortunately, motion loss is often overlooked or not fully appreciated as a cause to postoperative knee pain, limited function, or subsequent arthritic changes. Loss of motion after an ACL reconstruction can have devastating outcomes that often persist despite treatment. Given the overall poor results after surgical treatment of motion loss, it is best to prevent motion issues from arising in the first place.