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ACL degrees

ACL degrees

Overview

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may be described as a partial tear, complete tear or an avulsion (tearing away) from the bone attachments that form the knee.

Review Date 6/27/2026

Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Peter and Sophie Pappas Endowed Chair, V-nee Yeh Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.