People who experience an ACL injury are at higher risk of developing arthritis in the knee. Recurrent giving-way episodes can cause additional damage to the joint surface cartilage, meniscus, bone, and other ligaments. However, arthritis may occur even if you have surgery to reconstruct the ligament. Multiple factors likely influence the risk of arthritis, such as the severity of the original injury, the presence of related injuries in the knee joint, and the level of activity after treatment.