Surgery
What month nine after an ACL should look like
Time since surgery is the weakest way to decide you are ready. Here are the tests we use instead.
Maya Oduya
8 min
The nine month myth
Nine months is an average, not a criterion. Plenty of knees are not ready at nine months and some are ready earlier.
The battery we use
Quadriceps strength within ten percent of the other side, a hop test battery within ten percent, and landing mechanics that hold up on video.
Why it is worth the wait
Returning before passing these tests is associated with a markedly higher reinjury rate. The tests are uncomfortable. A second reconstruction is worse.