After ACL surgery why is my knee making weird sounds? Is this normal?

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It is not unusual for your knee to make weird grinding and clicking sounds after an ACL surgery. The first thing that people think is that there must be something wrong with my new ACL graft! This is rarely the case. Pain, swelling and weird sounds that your knee make after ACL surgery are typically all normal after surgery. Watch this brief video to learn all about grinding and clicking sounds that your knee makes.

Watch this brief video to learn why your knee makes grinding and clicking sounds after an ACL surgery and why they may be perfectly normal!

As you saw in the video above there can be normal sounds that your knee makes and abnormal sounds that your knee makes after ACL surgery. I have summarized them below.

Clicking from your knee cap or cracking sounds when you bend or straighten your knee are typically normal.
If the joint clunks, makes a grizzly or grinding sound and is accompanied by a shift in the joint this can be abnormal. You will typically feel like your knee gives out or feels unstable with these sounds and this can be an issue. In this case it is best to have your knee joint assessed for stability by a health care provider.

Most people need to worry less about the sounds that their knee makes after ACL surgery and be more focused on their daily rehabilitation exercises. You can focus on your daily ACL rehabilitation by downloading Curovate from the links below. Curovate is a physical therapy app that provides daily video-guided exercises for every day of your recovery. Curovate also tracks your progress and give you the ability to measure your knee range of motion with just your phone.

If you need further customized assistance after your ACL surgery or ACL injury check out our Virtual Physical Therapy page to book your 1-on-1 video session with a physical therapist.

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