UK pricing guide • Updated August 2026
How much does ACL reconstruction cost in the UK?
Most surgeons won’t put numbers on a website. We think you deserve them before you pick up the phone. Below are real published guide prices from the major UK hospital groups, what those figures actually include, what pushes a price up, and how insurance and self-pay differ.
£6,000–£10,000
the typical all-in range for private ACL reconstruction in the UK
~£7,800
the UK average quoted across providers
28.7 wks
average NHS wait for knee surgery (Jan 2026) — the reason most people ask
Why we publish prices
An ACL rupture is usually sudden, and it usually happens to someone with a job, a season or a family plan to think about. Being told “it depends” and asked to book a consultation to find out the price is not good enough.
So this page sets out the market honestly. Mr Osman Riaz performs over 120 ACL reconstructions a year and operates at Spire Elland and The Huddersfield Hospital — but the figures below are the published guide prices of the hospital groups themselves, not marketing. Where a number can change, we explain why.
Every patient receives a written fixed-price quotation before agreeing to anything. If a quote is not in writing and itemised, ask why.
Ask any provider these five questions
- Is this a fixed price or an estimate?
- Does it include the surgeon and anaesthetist fees, or are they billed separately?
- How many physiotherapy sessions are included?
- What happens to the price if you find additional damage (meniscus, cartilage) during surgery?
- Is revision surgery covered if the graft fails?
Where the money goes
What makes up the cost
A “fixed price package” is not one fee — it is a bundle. This is what sits inside it, and what is usually charged separately.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation with the surgeon | £200 – £350 Mr Riaz: £250 | Mr Riaz’s consultation fee is £250 at both Spire Elland and The Huddersfield Hospital. Often credited against the cost of surgery if you proceed |
| MRI scan of the knee | £350 – £900 | Needed to confirm the tear and check the meniscus and cartilage |
| Surgeon’s fee | Included in package | The reconstruction itself |
| Anaesthetist’s fee | Included in package | Usually a separate professional in London pricing |
| Theatre and hospital stay | Included in package | ACL reconstruction is usually day-case or one night |
| Graft and fixation devices | Included in package | Buttons, screws and suspensory devices — see graft choice |
| Physiotherapy | Partly included | Packages typically bundle a set number of sessions; ACL rehab runs 9–12 months |
| Follow-up appointments | Usually included | Check how many, and for how long |
The short answer
What ACL reconstruction typically costs in the UK
Private ACL reconstruction in the UK typically costs between £6,000 and £10,000, with a national average of around £7,800. Most fixed-price packages fall in that band. ACL reconstruction is the most common form of knee ligament surgery, and the cost of knee ligament surgery generally sits in the same range unless more than one ligament is involved. Complex cases and premium central London clinics run higher, up to about £14,000.
£7,800
UK average for a private ACL reconstruction
£6,000–£10,000
the range most fixed-price packages sit within
up to £14,000
complex cases and premium London clinics
Compare like for like — the headline number often isn’t the total.
Some quotes are genuinely all-inclusive: surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, implants, hospital stay and a set number of physiotherapy sessions. Others quote the hospital charges only and bill the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees plus your scans separately — which can add several thousand pounds to an apparently competitive figure.
Before you compare two prices, check both are quoting the same thing. The five questions above are the quickest way to find out.
Mr Riaz’s own fee
Consultation: £250 — the same at both Spire Elland and The Huddersfield Hospital, Circle Health Group.
That covers your consultation with Mr Riaz: examination, review of your scans, and a full discussion of your options including graft choice and whether you would benefit from a lateral extra-articular tenodesis. You leave with a plan and, if you want one, a written fixed-price quotation for surgery from the hospital.
The surgical package itself is billed by the hospital and depends on what your knee needs, so your written quotation confirms the exact total before you commit to anything.
Why quotes differ
What changes the price
An isolated ACL reconstruction in a straightforward knee sits at the lower end. Most of the variation comes from what else needs doing at the same time — and that is a clinical decision, not a sales one.
| Factor | Effect on price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Adding a lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) | Modest increase | Often the right call in young pivoting athletes — roughly halves re-rupture risk. See LET explained |
| Meniscal repair at the same time | Moderate increase | Very common alongside ACL rupture; extra implants and theatre time |
| Cartilage repair or AutoCart | Significant increase | Additional kit and theatre time — see cartilage repair |
| Revision (re-do) ACL reconstruction | Significant increase | Longer, more complex, may need bone graft or staging — see revision ACL |
| Slope-correcting or realignment osteotomy | Significant increase | Separate procedure with its own implants — see knee osteotomy |
| Graft choice | Usually neutral | Hamstring, quadriceps and BTB are comparable; synthetic devices cost more — see graft choice |
| Extended physiotherapy | Added cost | ACL rehab is 9–12 months; packages rarely cover all of it |
How people pay
Insurance, self-pay and finance
Private medical insurance
If you have cover and the injury happened after your policy started, ACL reconstruction is normally covered with pre-authorisation. You typically pay only your excess.
The catch to know about: a tear that predates your policy is treated as a pre-existing condition and is usually excluded. Insurers also cap physiotherapy sessions, which matters when ACL rehab runs 9–12 months.
Mr Riaz is recognised by all major UK insurers. Always get written pre-authorisation and a policy number before your admission date.
Self-pay
A single fixed-price package agreed in writing, with no insurer involved and no effect on future premiums. Most patients choose this when they have no cover, when a tear is excluded as pre-existing, or when they simply want to choose their own surgeon and date.
Finance is available: most hospitals offer monthly plans from around £250 a month over 36 months for an ACL reconstruction (representative 9.9% APR, subject to status).
The honest comparison
NHS or private?
ACL reconstruction on the NHS is free and performed to a high standard — Mr Riaz does exactly this work at Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. If you can wait and you are not chasing a season or a self-employed income, the NHS is a perfectly good answer and we will say so.
What you buy privately is time and continuity: the average NHS wait for knee surgery was 28.7 weeks in January 2026, with only 61.6% of patients treated inside the 18-week standard and over 154,000 people waiting more than a year across elective care. Privately you also choose your surgeon, your date, and you see the same person at every appointment.
For a footballer facing a season, a self-employed tradesperson losing income, or a knee that keeps giving way and damaging its meniscus while it waits, that time has a real value.
Private makes most sense when…
- You have a season, contract or competition to return to
- You are self-employed and every week off work costs money
- Your knee is unstable and giving way — ongoing episodes risk further meniscal and cartilage damage
- You want a specific surgeon or technique (LET, quadriceps graft, revision expertise)
- You have insurance and the injury is covered anyway
Getting a figure for your knee
How to get your written quote
Because the total depends on what your knee actually needs, the only number that matters is the one written for you. The process is simple:
1
Consultation
Examination, review of your MRI, and a discussion of graft options and whether you need an LET.
2
Written quotation
An itemised fixed price from the hospital covering surgery, stay, implants and the aftercare included.
3
Decide in your own time
No pressure and no obligation. If the NHS is the better route for you, we will tell you.
Where Mr Riaz operates: Spire Elland Hospital (01422 702951) and The Huddersfield Hospital, Circle Health Group (01484 533131). Both are minutes from the M62 with straightforward access from Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and across the north. Self-pay and all major insurers accepted, and second opinions are welcome from anywhere in the UK.
Common questions
ACL surgery cost: your questions
How much does private ACL reconstruction cost in the UK?
Private ACL reconstruction in the UK typically costs between £6,000 and £10,000, with a national average of around £7,800. Complex cases and premium central London clinics can reach £14,000. Always check whether the quote includes the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees, your scans and physiotherapy, because some quote hospital charges only.
Does the price include physiotherapy?
Partly. Most fixed-price packages include a set number of physiotherapy sessions plus your follow-up consultations. ACL rehabilitation properly runs 9 to 12 months, so budget for physiotherapy beyond the package. Our rehabilitation protocols are free to every patient and their physiotherapist.
Will my insurance cover ACL reconstruction?
Usually yes, if the injury occurred after your policy started and you obtain pre-authorisation. You would normally pay only your excess. A tear that predates the policy is generally excluded as a pre-existing condition. Insurers also commonly cap the number of physiotherapy sessions.
Is it cheaper to have ACL surgery on the NHS?
It is free on the NHS and done to a high standard. The trade-off is time: the average wait for knee surgery was 28.7 weeks in January 2026. Going privately buys you a date, your choice of surgeon and continuity of care rather than a better operation.
Why is revision ACL surgery more expensive?
A re-do reconstruction takes longer, may require bone grafting, removal of old hardware, correction of tibial slope or staging into two operations. The complexity is genuinely greater, and so is the cost.
Can I spread the cost?
Yes. Most private hospitals offer finance through third-party providers, with monthly payments from around £250 over 36 months for an ACL reconstruction at a representative 9.9% APR, subject to status.
Get a written price for your knee
Spire Elland 01422 702951 • The Huddersfield Hospital 01484 533131. Self-pay and all major insurers — UK-wide referrals and second opinions welcome.
Price ranges shown are typical UK market figures, correct as at August 2026, and are provided as general guidance only. They are not quotations and may change. Your own written quotation will be provided by the hospital following consultation. NHS waiting time figures: NHS England elective care data, January 2026.
