When can I drive after ACL surgery?

There’s no fixed date. After ACL reconstruction, one report found braking matched healthy drivers at about 2 weeks for a left knee and about 6 for a right.

How should I take stairs down after knee surgery?

One NHS team says to lead with your surgical leg going down, so your stronger leg stays on the upper step and does the lowering.

Is it normal to have swelling after PT at 6 weeks?

Hospital leaflets say rising or excessive swelling after ACL surgery may mean you’re doing too much.

ACL surgery · Weeks 3 to 6

ACL Surgery Recovery, Weeks 3 to 6: Driving, Stairs, What’s Normal

You take the stairs a step at a time, hand on the rail. Going down feels worst, and the work van sits in the driveway.

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.

What’s normal now

Not jogging at week 6 is on schedule. Source
Stairs down feel harder because your quad works as a brake, lengthening under load to slow you on each step. Source
Hospital leaflets say rising or excessive swelling after ACL surgery may mean you’re doing too much. Source
One NHS leaflet for knee injuries calls a small rise in pain or swelling normal if it settles within 24 hours of exercise. Source
In braking studies after ACL surgery, right knees took about 4 to 6 weeks, left knees about 2. Source

Free milestone map

Where are you in recovery?

Pick your surgery and your week. Your map opens right here: what’s normal now, what usually comes next, and the guides for each stage. No email needed.

What usually comes next

Standing work on flat floors, no ladders, has a guide range of 4 to 8 weeks. Gate: full straightening, a normal walk, small, stable swelling. Source
One NHS physical therapy team puts light manual work at 6 weeks. Source
Driving comes with a test, not a date: an emergency stop with full control, free of distracting pain and drowsy-making painkillers. Source

Questions to bring to your surgeon or PT

Do I have a lag, or any loss of straightening? Source
How many hours a day can I be on my feet, on uneven ground, kneeling or squatting? Source
What test clears each work task, and when can we run it? Source
Would NMES or BFR fit my surgery and my health? Source

Don’t wait for your next visit

Pain or swelling in one calf or thigh. A clot can show up weeks after surgery; with chest pain or shortness of breath, call 911. Source
A knee that gets more swollen, hotter or redder. Source
A pop and the knee giving way, then swelling within a day: signs of an ACL tear. Source
A knee that locks, gives way under you, or can’t take your weight. Source
A temperature higher than 101°F (38.3°C). Source

Chest pain or trouble breathing: call 911.

Questions men ask at this stage

When can I drive after ACL surgery?: There’s no fixed date. After ACL reconstruction, one report found braking matched healthy drivers at about 2 weeks for a left knee and about 6 for a right. Source
How should I take stairs down after knee surgery?: One NHS team says to lead with your surgical leg going down, so your stronger leg stays on the upper step and does the lowering. Source
Is it normal to have swelling after PT at 6 weeks?: Hospital leaflets say rising or excessive swelling after ACL surgery may mean you’re doing too much. Source