My doctor wants me to go to rehab to build my muscles up before having an ACL repair. I'm not really an athlete so I don't see the need to do this. Can't I just have the operation first and rehab after?
You can choose to have the surgery without delay. However research shows that patients get better faster after ACL repair when the quadriceps muscle is strong going into the operation. These results apply to results in the early months after ACL repair. One study showed the same results in muscle strength when measured two years after the operation.
Your doctor may have tested your muscle strength and found it to be lacking. Poor strength may be defined as less than 75 percent of the normal leg. Even if you're not an athlete, you can avoid further injury and damage to the knee when the muscles around the joint are strong. This may be why your doctor has recommended rehab before and after the ACL repair.
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