ACL Injuries: What They Are and What Recovery Looks Like

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Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are some of the most common—and often most frustrating—injuries among athletes and active individuals. Whether you’re playing sport at a professional level or just enjoy being active, understanding how ACL injuries occur and what you can do to prevent them is essential.

We’ll cover what the ACL does, why injuries happen so frequently, what rehabilitation entails, and how to reduce your risk of injury through training and preparation.

What Is the ACL and Why Is It So Important?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four major ligaments in the knee and plays a critical role in maintaining knee stability. It connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia) and prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward, as well as limiting excessive rotation or “buckling” of the knee.

The ACL is especially important for controlling pivoting, landing, and decelerating movements, which are common in many sports and physical activities. When the ACL is torn, it can cause pain, instability, swelling, and a significant loss of function.

How Do ACL Injuries Occur?

ACL injuries are common in sports that involve rapid changes in direction, jumping, or sudden stops and starts. These include netball, football (soccer), rugby, basketball, and skiing.

Surprisingly, around 70% of ACL injuries are non-contact, meaning they happen without any direct blow or collision. Most injuries occur when an athlete lands awkwardly, pivots sharply, or decelerates suddenly with poor technique or insufficient muscle support. This is actually good news—it means that most ACL injuries are preventable with the right training and preparation.

Here are a few quick stats:

  • 73% of ACL injuries occur during sport.

  • Women are at a higher risk than men, due to differences in anatomy, strength, and biomechanics.

  • The peak age group for ACL injuries is between 15–25 years, often affecting young, active individuals.

Recovery After an ACL Injury

ACL injuries are serious and can take a long time to heal. Most people who fully tear their ACL will require surgical reconstruction, followed by an extended period of rehabilitation.

What does recovery look like?

  • 9–14 months: Average duration of post-operative rehabilitation.

  • Up to 24 months: The time it often takes for individuals to return to their full pre-injury performance level.

  • 81% of individuals return to sport, but only 65% return to their previous level of competition.

  • Delaying return to sport by just one extra month has been shown to reduce re-injury risk by up to 50%.

This reinforces the idea that rushing back into sport too early is a major risk factor for a second injury. A well-structured, gradual rehab program that focuses on strength, movement quality, and neuromuscular control is critical to long-term success.

How to Prevent ACL Injuries

The great news is that many ACL injuries are preventable. The key lies in building strength, improving movement quality, and preparing the body for the specific demands of sport.

Here are some evidence-based strategies to help reduce your risk:

1. Build Lower Limb Strength

Strengthening the muscles around the knee—particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—is crucial for absorbing the impact forces involved in sport.

A great benchmark to aim for is:

✅ 23 consecutive single-leg sit-to-stands with good knee alignment.

If you’re unable to perform this, it may indicate a deficit in leg strength or control that could increase your injury risk.

2. Improve Hip Strength and Mobility

Weakness or tightness in the hips can affect how your knees move during cutting, landing, and pivoting. Incorporating exercises that target the glute medius, glute maximus, and hip rotators can improve control during dynamic movements.

3. Practice Plyometric and Landing Techniques

Plyometric exercises such as jump squats, box jumps, and lateral bounds train your body to absorb impact properly. Focus on:

  • Landing softly

  • Keeping knees aligned with toes

  • Avoiding inward collapse of the knees (“valgus” position)

Even a few minutes per session dedicated to landing mechanics can make a huge difference in injury prevention.

4. Use a Neuromuscular Warm-Up

Sport-specific warm-up programs such as the FIFA 11+ (for soccer) or Netball Knee have been proven to significantly reduce ACL injury risk.


They take around 15–20 minutes and are a simple but powerful way to improve movement quality and prepare your body for sport.

Take the Next Step

If you’ve had an ACL injury or want to reduce your risk of having one, don’t leave it to chance. At OnePointHealth, our Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists are trained in:

  • ACL rehabilitation

  • Return-to-sport programming

  • Pre-season screening and injury prevention planning

We provide one-on-one assessments and can create a tailored plan that meets your goals, whether that’s getting back on the field or simply moving pain-free.

Book an appointment today and take control of your recovery or injury prevention journey.