Can an ACL Tear Heal without Medical Treatment?

When it comes to knee injuries, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffers damage more often than other ligaments, usually in the form of a tear that could be complete or partial. Ligament damage is medically considered a sprain, and, like ankle sprains, ACL injuries are graded. 

However, unlike ankle sprains, ACL tears are rarely partial. Usually, tears are complete or near complete, often accompanied by damage to other components of the knee. 

The knee pain specialists at Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, Florida, can help with pain related to ACL tears. Here’s what you need to know about your knee injury, its care, and your recovery. 

Usually sports-related

The most common cause of ACL tears is sports-related injury. Damage results from awkward landings, impacts, sudden pivots, or forceful stops during sports like basketball, football, or soccer. 

However, the ACL can be vulnerable to damage for other reasons, such as falls, trips, missteps, and car accidents. 

The ACL prevents the tibia (bone of the shin) from moving ahead of the femur (thigh bone). This can cause the knee to move or twist in a way that puts the ACL under forces beyond its capacity to resist, resulting in complete or partial tears. 

Can an ACL tear heal without medical treatment?

It’s unlikely that a completely ruptured ACL will heal on its own; it’s possible that some more moderate tears could heal without surgery. However, it would require careful bracing, an extensive rehabilitation program, plenty of time, and a measure of good luck. 

Even then, healing isn’t guaranteed, and the return of full function is probably unlikely. Traditional medical belief is that ACL tears won’t heal, though there is a record of a limited number of injuries healing with only conservative treatment. 

Minimal blood supply

The bloodstream is the avenue through which the raw materials of healing travel throughout the body. Healing depends on the delivery of components such as stem cells and growth factor hormones through the bloodstream. 

The ACL receives minimal blood supply to its tissue. Instead, much of the nourishment needed for tissue healing comes through synovial fluid, the liquid inside the articular capsule surrounding the knee.  

This provides glucose and oxygen to the ligament cells, but synovial fluid washes away cells necessary for healing, which are already limited in quantity because of the weak blood supply. 

While a few ACL tears can heal with conservative medical care, the best option for active people with moderate to severe tears is likely surgery. Your chances of an ACL injury healing spontaneously are extremely small. 

To manage the pain that accompanies an ACL injury through all stages of recovery, contact Florida Pain Management Institute by phone or online at our nearest location today.