Lay summary
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most common and debilitating knee injuries. Surgery is the preferred treatment with 2,800 reconstruction surgeries per annum costing over $38 million per year. In addition, surgery wait lists continue to grow exacerbating the stress and strain on existing medical facilities and services. The current project will explore an alternate non-surgical repair approach that is based on the self-healing potential and preservation of the biological tissue of the ACL. Still in its infancy, it is proposed that the non-surgical bracing protocol will enable natural healing of ACL injury that has implications in reducing the inequity of accessibility and provision of ACL healthcare service in Aotearoa New Zealand. The proposed project will challenge the status quo of ACL treatment and have an impact on clinical practice in providing better patient functional outcomes, and reduce the healthcare cost of surgery.