By: Lucas Glomb, PT, DPT, OCS
If you’ve had ACL reconstruction or are preparing for surgery, graft choice plays a major role in how your knee heals and how physical therapy progresses. At Mend Physical Therapy, we work with ACL patients across Colorado to tailor rehab based on the specific graft used and the demands of an active lifestyle.
Most Common ACL Grafts Used In ACL Surgery Today
The most common ACL grafts are the patellar tendon, hamstring tendon, and quadriceps tendon autografts. These grafts are preferred because they offer strong fixation, predictable healing, and excellent long-term outcomes, especially for active individuals. Donor tissue (allograft) is typically reserved for older or lower-demand patients due to higher retear rates in athletic populations.
How ACL Graft Choice Affects Physical Therapy and Recovery
Each ACL graft changes how rehab is structured. Patellar tendon grafts may cause more anterior knee pain, hamstring grafts can temporarily affect hamstring strength, and quadriceps tendon grafts often create increased quad weakness early on. An experienced ACL physical therapist adjusts loading, strengthening, and return-to-sport progressions to protect the graft while rebuilding confidence and performance.
Which ACL Graft Do We Prefer for Active Patients?
From a rehabilitation standpoint, the quadriceps tendon graft is often our preferred option for many active patients. It provides excellent stability with less anterior knee irritation for many people, allowing smoother progression through strength training, neuromuscular control, and sport-specific rehab. Another great choice includes the bone patellar bone graft which provides long term evidence on effectiveness and re injury rates. While no graft is best for everyone, outcomes are best when graft choice and physical therapy are aligned.
ACL Rehab Near You In Boulder and Denver
Successful ACL recovery requires more than time, it requires expert-guided, individualized physical therapy. At Mend, we design ACL rehab programs specific to your graft type, sport, and goals so you can return to skiing, running, hiking, lifting, and competition with confidence.
If you’re searching for ACL physical therapy in Boulder or Denver, our team is here to guide you through every phase of recovery.
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