Week by week

ACL surgery recovery, week by week

What’s typical after ACL reconstruction, stage by stage, for men who work with their bodies: when light duty, driving, ladders and the first jog usually come up, and what to ask before each one.

1. Before surgery How long you’re off depends on how heavy your job is: one insurer’s guide puts heavy work like a builder’s at 10 to 16 weeks for a full return. Most workers in the studies got back, and an early return on modified duties is encouraged when appropriate.
2. Weeks 0 to 2 A quad that won’t switch on is common: after surgery, your nervous system turns it down, and swelling and pain add to it. One NHS team says light duties may be possible after 2 weeks, likely still on crutches.
3. Weeks 3 to 6 Yes, not jogging yet at week 6 is on schedule, and stairs down can feel hardest because your quad works as a brake. Standing work on flat floors has a guide range of 4 to 8 weeks.
4. Weeks 7 to 12 It’s normal to still be held back: one NHS team says the graft is at its weakest 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. Ladders and loads on uneven ground usually come up at 2 to 3 months, gated by tests like quad strength.
5. Months 3 to 6 Around month 3 is when the first jog usually comes up, as a time to ask, not a green light. A jog tests straight-line impact, not ladders or twisting, and one NHS leaflet says to avoid twisting and kneeling for the first 4 to 6 months.
6. 6 months or more Yes, it’s common: kneeling trouble after knee surgery can take years to improve, and your body can be cleared before you feel ready. Graft re-tears ran about 7% in younger athletes, under 3% in one review of people over 40.