ACL Tear Treatment: Reconstructive Surgery or Physical Therapy?

New England Journal of Medicine (2010-07-21)– After an athlete experiences an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, which is the best course of treatment, surgery or physical therapy?  A new study compared the results of early reconstructive surgery versus initial physical therapy with an option for delayed surgery for ACL tears and found no significant difference between these choices two years postinjury. However, this study and other factors, including the fact that surgeons are experimenting with new tissue grafts for ACL tears, fuel the debate about which is better, surgery or physical therapy. Read more