Ah! Finally someone with this problem. Like what edvey mentioned, unless your knee is the source of your income (you're a prefessional footballer, basketballer, etc.), then no, you do not need to fork out that extra amount of money for a reconstruction surgery.

Btw, the doctor said it's a tear. But to what degree is the tear? Minor tears do not require surgeries.

As a matter of fact, research has shown that ACL reconstruction predisposes to a higher incidence of osteoarthritis (OA). Also, the outcome of conservative treatment over surgery has no difference, as research has shown.

i suffered from ACL tear.
went for reconstruction.
now can go back to normal life & play sports.

I guess it depends on rehab a lot.

its all about the physio. the surgery i would say would only be about 30-50% of the work. the other 50% is stretching. icing, exercise. etc. and so forth. playing during his recovery doesnt help... my friend did an ACL recon and he cant play still because his physio was piece of crap, told him cant do this and that. in the end scar tissue built up at the site and so he's a bit messed up. going to do another surgery to remove the scarring and then go to a better physio. poor guy.

Rehabilitation and physiotherapy treatment helps on the recovery process most of the time according to my friends that had undergone the surgery.

post operation rehab is important up to 6 month after.
i started sports again 1 year after surgery.