Scans & Tests · Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury

Scans and tests your GP or consultant may recommend for Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury

This is information about which scans and tests may be used to assess Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and what each one is: not a recommendation. Your clinician decides which scan or test, if any, you need. Prices below are typical UK private ranges; enter your postcode to see the NHS wait near you.

Get your free wait-or-pay dashboard for Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury: the faster hospitals near you and every option, compared.

See your free wait-or-pay dashboard→

Examination first

An ACL injury is first assessed from how it happened and an examination of the knee, including tests of how stable it is.

MRI

The main scan: the first-line, non-invasive scan to confirm an ACL tear and check the other ligaments and cartilage. It shows soft tissue an X-ray cannot.

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, cartilage, discs and the brain. It uses no radiation.

How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes, lying still inside a tunnel-shaped scanner.

Good for: Soft-tissue and joint detail: ligament and cartilage injuries, the spine and discs, and the brain.

Typical UK private cost: £300 to £1145. Usually bookable within days.

Sources: NHS. [1] (opens in new tab)

See the wait and price near you

Enter your postcode for the NHS wait at your nearest hospital and the private price range from clinics within 25 miles.

All conditions, scans and tests →MRI waits by hospital →All NHS waiting times →

Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. NHS waits are from DM01 diagnostics data. Nothing here is medical advice; your clinician decides which scan, if any, you need.

How long will you really wait, and how could you go sooner?

Your free dashboard compares all four paths for Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury: wait, switch to a faster NHS hospital, part-private, or fully private. It names the faster hospitals near you, shows what going private would cost, and gives you letters ready to send. You can print it or save it as a PDF. Free, and nothing is locked or paid.

See your free wait-or-pay dashboard→