Duration of a cruciate ligament rupture

Cruciate ligament rupture (also: cruciate ligament rupture) often occurs in the context of sports injuries, such as excessive spinning movements during soccer, twisting while jogging or accidents while skiing. In most cases, the anterior cruciate ligament is affected and requires surgical therapy with subsequent rehabilitation. Conservative treatment with physiotherapy and splinting is only considered for cruciate ligament ruptures where the cruciate ligament has not been completely severed or the correct knee position is still guaranteed.

Duration of a cruciate ligament rupture

Depending on the chosen treatment scheme, the duration of the subsequent movement restriction also varies. However, both surgical and conservative treatment usually requires several months of abstinence from sports activities. If the torn cruciate ligament is operated, this is usually done by replacing the torn tendon with the body’s own material.

The tendon of a thigh muscle or a part of the patellar tendon is often used for this purpose. With this type of treatment, complete healing usually takes about half a year, since the transplanted tendon must first adapt to the new type of load and grow completely to the bone. Rehabilitation should be started immediately after the operation.

Cooling and protection of the joint prevent swelling and have a positive effect on the healing process. Passive stretching of the knee joint using a splint should also be started immediately after the operation. The splinting should ideally last about six weeks.

Physiotherapeutic measures should also be included in the treatment from the very beginning, according to the stage of the disease. This is because the strengthening of the thigh muscles leads to additional relief of the cruciate ligament transplant. Under no circumstances, however, should the knee joint be overloaded; this would only hinder the healing process.

Approximately three weeks after the operation, additional coordination exercises can be performed, which have a positive effect on the fine tuning of the individual muscle groups with each other and can thus prevent incorrect fitting. Sports activities should be performed after about two months at the earliest, and then only those that are associated with less stress on the knee joint. An example of this would be cycling on a level road.

One month later, after about three months, swimming is usually allowed. Running sports and light jogging should be done at the earliest four months after the operation. Only when there is no pain, the full range of motion is available again and usually only after consultation with the treating physician should the original sport be practiced again.

This is usually the case after six to new months at the earliest. Under certain circumstances, a knee brace can initially support the sporting activity. However, this should be discussed with the doctor in each individual case.

The surgical treatment of a torn cruciate ligament should ideally be carried out when the acute inflammatory reaction has subsided and the knee is in a non-irritant state. This means that the acute inflammatory reaction has subsided and the knee is neither reddened nor swollen. Usually the surgical procedure is performed about four to six weeks after the actual injury to prevent further complications in the course of the inflammation.

Exceptions are additional injuries to other structures in the knee joint such as the meniscus rupture or complex types of injuries. In such cases, surgery should be performed within the first 24 to 48 hours after the event. The operation is usually performed arthroscopically, i.e. using arthroscopy as part of a minimally invasive procedure.

All that is needed are two small skin incisions through which the instruments and a camera are inserted. In total, the procedure itself takes about 40 minutes to just under two hours (the duration of a knee arthroscopy), depending on how the tear runs and the conditions for reconstruction. Conservative treatment of a cruciate ligament rupture is only considered if the tendon is not torn by more than 25% or if the tendon has detached from its bony attachment, but the correct knee axis is still intact.

Conservative treatment can also be performed in patients who are older or who are not very active in sports. If this is the case, surgery can be dispensed with and the treatment can be carried out with the help of physiotherapy and splinting.Initially, the focus is on relief, followed by targeted muscle building to stabilize the knee joint. The duration of the conservative therapy, when professionally carried out and supervised, is usually between six months and one year until the original mobility and resilience is restored.

However, here too, the patient should consult the attending physician and, if necessary, have a renewed examination of the mobility in order to rule out the necessity of an operative intervention. The duration of incapacity to work after a torn cruciate ligament depends primarily on the type of activity and varies according to the degree of physical strain. For office work with primarily sedentary activity, the duration of sick leave is usually about four to six weeks.

If the knee joint is subjected to more stress, for example when standing or driving a motor vehicle, sick leave can also last two to three months, as this may require a large range of movement and freedom from crutches. However, the additional protection of the knee in everyday life and especially with regard to sports activities should still be maintained. The hospital stay is usually very short due to the minimally invasive procedure and lasts only two to three days, provided that no further complications occur and the operation proceeds according to plan.

Additional injuries accompanying the rupture of the cruciate ligament can also extend the hospital stay if necessary. The length of time for the use of crutches or crutches can vary greatly depending on the type of injury and is difficult to generalize. The stability of the knee joint is decisive for the removal of such crutches or forearm crutches.

Good physiotherapeutic support with early and adequate strengthening of the leg muscles can reduce the time needed to use walking aids. As a rule, crutches or crutches for the lower leg are prescribed by the doctor for about six weeks. In many cases, however, full loading of the knee joint is possible after about three to four weeks. Walking without a walking aid is usually possible a few days later. However, this should be discussed with the treating physician or physiotherapist.