Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Rupture

If you have recently been diagnosed with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture (also called a tear) you may have questions about what this means, and which treatments are available for you. 

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton's Orthopaedic and Physiotherapy teams have participated in a research study using a shared decision-making tool. This tool supports patients when making decisions about their treatment following an ACL rupture, based on research evidence and input from patients, researchers, clinicians and NHS managers.


What is the shared decision-making tool?

The shared decision-making tool is designed to help you understand:

  • what an ACL rupture is
  • available treatment options
  • outcomes of each treatment
  • risks associated with each treatment
  • what to expect following an ACL rupture
  • key questions you may have
  • what to expect moving forward


There are two documents in the shared decision-making tool.

The first is a patient information leaflet which covers the above topics. Access the full anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and treatment patient information leaflet (opens in new window) >

The second document is called an 'option grid', this provides a list of brief answers to some frequently asked questions. These can be used during discussions with your clinician to help decide which treatment is best for you. Access the option grid (on page 12) (opens in new window) >


Learn more about the research study

If you are interested in how this tool was developed, you can read the shared decision-making tool research paper on the BMJ website (opens in new window) >

A summary of the study results is also available:

These resources were created by the lead researcher and patient representatives, who were involved throughout the research project. 

If you have any further questions about your ACL rupture or treatment, please speak to your physiotherapist or orthopaedic doctor. 

For questions about the research study, please email hayley.carter1@nhs.net