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They'd fare just fine. You don't need your ACL. It helps to keep your knee from giving out during certain sudden movements, but a lifetime of conditioning would
by digdugdirk 3y ago
They'd fare just fine. You don't need your ACL. It helps to keep your knee from giving out during certain sudden movements, but a lifetime of conditioning would prevent against that. High level football players have played seasons without an ACL, for example.
- grogenaut 3y agoThey do so wearing a brace and trading chances for massive damage to the knee for finish-out out the season and getting paid. We had someone in college football do that because it was the last 2 weeks of his senior season. He suffered cartilage damage from it and wouldn't do it again.
- digdugdirk 3y agoI was thinking about players like Hines Ward, who played his entire career without an ACL. Most players will get it repaired because at that level any small percentage performance improvement (or risk reduction) is worth it. But the body can compensate for the lack of an ACL through strengthening the surrounding musculature.
- grogenaut 3y agoInteresting, didn't know about that. However it sounds like maybe he never had one or it snapped early on and he grew up without one, which is different than being at the height of your game and losing it. My friends who snapped ACLs in college or highschool never felt safe on those knees again and it limited what they were willing to do move wise.