A member asked:

Acl reconstruction. when will i be able to reach full extension?

18 doctors weighed in across 5 answers

It take a while: Most likely it need from six month to a year depending your physical therapy program.

Answered 8/2/2021

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Sooner the better: After acl reconstruction, the goal should be to achieve full extension as soon as possible. By two weeks after surgery, if you are having trouble reaching full extension we emphasize certain physical therapy techniques and sometimes assistive stretching devices. Achieving early full extension is critical to long-term successful outcome and should be an early priority.

Answered 5/23/2015

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Now!: You should work towards full extension as soon as possible after surgery. I expect my patients to have it by 2 weeks post op, check them again around 4 weeks if they are having problems gaining full extension. If they are having difficulty, i increase the frequency of pt and give them some exercises to do at home multiple times per day to help get the last few degrees.

Answered 11/28/2017

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ASAP: This should be a priority from day 1 postop. Hopefully by 2 weeks you have it. It is much harder to get after the first 6 weeks. If you don't get it, you cannot lock your knee straight and your quadriceps muscle always has to fire. This can cause an ache in the front of the knee even after full recovery from surgery.

Answered 10/30/2015

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6-12 weeks: Although it could take up to 1 year to get full extension most patients achieve full extension in 4-12 weeks.

Answered 3/6/2016

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Are standing leg extensions okay to get after ACL surgery?

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