“After a knee surgery how long should one wait before resuming any sport?”
My husband recently underwent a knee surgery because of a ligament tear. He likes to play cricket on his free time, and we would like to know how long should he wait before he can play again?
6 Answers
If it was an ACL reconstruction, and he's not a professional athlete, I would wait one year before returning to any sport that involves planting the foot and cutting to a different direction.
It depends on which ligament was repaired. If the ACL was repaired it is six months. If a collateral ligament repair it is six weeks with a knee brace.
Ligament injures can take some time to heal. The general rule is when the motion of the joint is normal and doesn't have pain, athletics can be resumed slowly.
Nabil A Ebraheim
Orthopedist
Recovery time is going to be tailored specifically for each patient. The operating physician will have the best time frame for when he can resume free time activities.
A ligament injury normally heals in six weeks, but then it is important to do rehab training before you go back to your sports activity.
I would follow what his surgeon has recommended first and foremost. With any major ligament reconstruction, it may be up to 6 months or more, depending upon what ligament was repaired, before he may return to competitive sports. Having said that, it's safe for him to rehabilitate his knee, regain the ROM and strength before returning to sports again.
