The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the main stabilising ligaments of the knee. It is most commonly torn during a sudden twist, pivot or landing in cricket, football, badminton, kabaddi and gym training, and also in ordinary slips and road accidents.
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria has treated ACL injuries in professional athletes and recreational players for over two decades at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai. Not every ACL tear needs surgery — the decision depends on your age, your activity, whether the knee is giving way, and what else was injured at the same time.
The ACL runs diagonally through the centre of the knee, connecting the thigh bone to the shin bone. Its job is to stop the shin sliding forward and to control rotation. When it tears, the knee loses that rotational control.
Tears are graded by severity. A partial tear leaves some fibres intact. A complete tear separates the ligament entirely — this is the most common presentation and the ACL does not heal back together on its own. ACL injuries frequently occur alongside meniscus tears, cartilage damage or injury to other ligaments.
Swelling within a few hours of a twisting injury is significant — it suggests bleeding inside the joint and warrants assessment.
Changing direction with the foot planted, the most common mechanism.
Landing from a jump with the knee straight or turning inward.
Stopping abruptly at speed.
A blow to the outside of the knee, common in contact sport.
Particularly two-wheeler injuries.
Missing a step or slipping on a wet surface.
Seek urgent care for obvious deformity, inability to bear any weight, numbness or coldness below the knee, or a knee that appears dislocated. Multi-ligament injuries can affect blood vessels and nerves and need immediate assessment.
How the injury happened, whether there was a pop, how quickly swelling appeared, whether you could continue, and whether the knee has given way since.
Specific stability tests including the Lachman and pivot-shift tests, alongside assessment of swelling, range of movement, the other ligaments, and signs of meniscus injury.
X-rays exclude fracture. MRI confirms the ACL tear and, importantly, identifies associated meniscus and cartilage injuries that affect the treatment plan.
Suitable for selected patients — typically those with partial tears, lower activity demands, or no instability in daily life:
ACL reconstruction is usually recommended for patients who want to return to pivoting sports, who experience recurrent giving way, who have associated meniscus or ligament injuries requiring repair, or who have physically demanding occupations.
Repeated episodes of giving way damage the meniscus and cartilage over time, which is a significant reason to treat instability rather than live with it.
The torn ligament is replaced with a graft, positioned arthroscopically through small incisions. Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction allows any meniscus or cartilage injury to be addressed at the same time.
Recovery is staged , not fixed to a date. Early rehabilitation restores movement and quadriceps control; strength work follows; running is introduced when specific strength and control targets are met; and return to pivoting sport comes last, typically after several months, once objective criteria are satisfied. Returning before the knee is ready is a leading cause of re-injury.
Meniscus tear
Knee cartilage damage
Knee arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis
Over two decades of orthopaedic surgical
experience
Internationally fellowship-trained in the USA,
Germany and Australia
Surgery recommended only when it is
genuinely the better option
Among India's earliest robotic joint
replacement surgeons
150+ peer-reviewed publications and multiple
device patents
Structured rehabilitation planned before the
operation, not after
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria is Director and Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, and one of the earliest surgeons in India to adopt robotic joint replacement. Over twenty-two years of practice he has treated patients across the full range of bone and joint conditions, with a particular focus on robotic knee and hip replacement, partial knee replacement, sports injury and arthroscopy, and complex pelvic and acetabular reconstruction.
Name
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria
Experience
20+ Years
Qualifications
MS (Ortho) FASSI, FNUS, FNAMS..
Speciality
Practice
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria today
Dr Vaibhav Bagaria
Prarthana Samaj, Khetwadi, Girgaon,
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400004
02261305757
