ACL injury and reconstruction
Also called: acl tears
A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, a key stabilizer of the knee, common in pivoting sports.
Where the evidence stands
- No AOPT clinical practice guideline in our library yet — lean on the reviews below.
- 6 recent reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) and 6 recent randomized trials shown below.
- Most recent publication here: Aug 1, 2026.
Outcome measures clinicians use to track progress: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Studies of studies — each pools the results of many trials.
- Effects of electrical stimulation on lower limb function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
- Neural activity differences and their functional and clinical correlates after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review of task-based fMRI studies
- Return-to-Sport Outcomes and Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport After Revision Compared to the Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Time-Dependent Alterations in Walking Biomechanics After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Compared with Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis
- Comparative effectiveness of resistance training modalities after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Effectiveness of strength-oriented rehabilitation interventions as a non-pharmacologic rehabilitation strategy for knee function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a three-level meta-analysis
Recent randomized trials
Newest first. Single trials are building blocks; weigh them against the reviews.
- Targeting neuromuscular deficits following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with spinal manipulation: A randomized controlled trial
- Eight weeks of visual perturbation training effects on unanticipated cutting lower-limb biomechanics and errors in male athletes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT)
- Effects of contralateral knee functional training on knee function, pain, kinesiophobia, plantar load distribution, and stance-phase parameters after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial
- Blood flow restriction as an adjunct during mid-stage rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction: a randomized sham-controlled study
- Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training as an Alternative to Heavy-Load Resistance Training in Early-Stage Rehabilitation Following Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Trial
In this small trial, low-load BFR training yielded strength, pain, swelling, and motion outcomes statistically indistinguishable from heavy loading early after BPTB ACL reconstruction, though the sample was too small to rule out meaningful differences.
- Augmenting rehabilitation of male volleyball players after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with Thera-band based neuromuscular training to improve balance and functional performance: a pilot randomized clinical trial
Studies without a summary yet get one the first time a Limbic member opens them, or within a few days.