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ACL Reconstruction: What You Need to Know

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ACL Reconstruction: What You Need to Know

  • ACL reconstruction is a surgical procedure to restore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), providing stability and structure to the knee.
  • The ACL runs diagonally between the two bones located below the knee, the femur and tibia, and prevents the latter from slipping in front of the former.
  • An injured ACL can lead to poor quality of life, affecting everything from sports activities to just standing.
  • The surgery is carried out by removing the remaining pieces of the torn ligament and replacing the ligament with another from another part of the body or with tissue from a cadaver.
  • Let’s look at this surgery in detail:

What Causes the Injury

  • An ACL injury is quite common, with around 200,000 cases of it every year in the United States alone.
  • It can be caused by sudden pressure on the knee or by changing your leg position suddenly.
  • This is why the injury is quite common in athletes, with people who play basketball, football, hockey, or soccer most susceptible to it.
  • You can also get it while skiing.
  • However, for many, it might occur in regular life.
  • They might hear a pop sound and experience pain in their legs in the following days.
  • Depending on the extent of the ACL tear, surgery may be required.

Why is this Surgery Done?

An ACL reconstruction helps you regain stability in the knee and increase movement. Surgery is usually not necessary as people can continue living with a damaged ACL. However, someone who has to move a lot might opt for an ACL reconstruction.
Reconstructive surgery might be a good option if:

  1. You are active and young
  2. You are an athlete
  3. You have to deal with persistent knee pain
  4. The injury is impeding regular daily activities, such as walking

The Procedure

  • You will have a lengthy discussion with your doctor before the procedure to learn about possible risks and to iron out details such as the type of anesthesia.
  • You can also choose which part of the body the transplanted ligament will come from.
  • Common options include the quadriceps, the patellar tendon, hamstring, and cadaver.
  • You might need to prepare by fasting for 12 hours before the surgery.
  • After administering anesthesia, a doctor will make an incision into your leg before inserting an arthroscope to monitor the area.
  • They will take out the parts of the ligament, clean the area, and transplant the new one.
  • This will be followed by drilling holes into the femur and tibia for the attachment of bone plugs.
  • The surgeon will check your knee’s mobility to test the effectiveness of the transplanting before patching the leg up.
  • You can usually go back home on the same day to rest.

Risks

Risks associated with reconstructive surgery include:

  1. Infection
  2. Continued knee pain
  3. Bleeding and clots
  4. Disease transmission from the procedure
  5. Improper healing
  6. Knee stiffness and weakness
  7. Loss of motion