An ACL tear is a traumatic rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee often caused by a noncontact mechanism such as landing from a jump or planting the foot to change directions. You often need surgery to restore ability to the knee and return to physically demanding sports and exercise. Still, some exercises for an ACL tear can be helpful to help you regain motion and strength of the knee, even before you have ACL reconstruction surgery.

In this video, physical therapist Yves Gege and I show a few exercises you can do to try to recover from ACL tears.

Remember, these exercise posts, like other information on this site, are not intended to represent specific medical advice. If you have any questions about this injury or of its treatment, make sure to see your doctor or a physical therapist.

Also read:
ACL injury: Rehab and return to sports