How soon a patient can work after ACL rupture surgery is determined by the patient’s recovery and the nature of the work.
After ACL rupture surgery, if the patient is doing clerical work, etc., and does not need to bear weight on his/her knees or do strenuous exercise, he/she can usually return to work in 3 weeks after surgery.
For patients whose work requires appropriate weight bearing, it is generally recommended that they return to work around 8 weeks after surgery. At this stage, patients can fully weight bear or perform squatting exercises, and if their work requires them to do so, they can see their doctor for a review around 3 weeks after surgery and partially weight bear according to the actual situation.
If the patient’s work requires strenuous exercise, it is not advisable to return to work too early, and the knee joint can be protected with a brace for about 3 months, and the quadriceps muscle training can be carried out actively to promote recovery. Most of the patients can gradually return to normal working ability in 6~8 months after surgery.
It is recommended that patients pay attention to their own care after ACL rupture surgery and reasonably assess the time to return to work under the guidance of the doctor.