Immediate Versus Optional Delayed Surgical Repair for Treatment of Acute ACL Injuries

All patients complete rehabilitation under supervision of their own physiotherapist. The investigators will provide some guidelines and criteria, but it is the physiotherapist's choice how to implement these guidelines in clinical practice.

"If a patient complains about persistent symptomatic instability of the knee or the inability to progress in rehabilitation, delayed surgery can be considered. ACL insufficiency induced instability in combination with a positive pivot shift and an additional MRI are needed to confirm the cause of instability.~This surgery will not be performed within the first 12 weeks after the ACL injury."

"No guidelines on type of ACL reconstruction will be imposed to keep the trial pragmatic. The decision of graft type and surgery technique is a clinical decision made by the orthopaedic surgeons of the participating centra.~This surgery will be performed within 12 weeks after the ACL injury."