A tear in the anterior cruciate ligament can be very painful to your knee. If this happens, you will probably be considered as a candidate for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstructive surgery. In this operation, your torn or damaged tissue will be replaced with new tissue.
There are two sources of tissue for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction. One is called autograft. With this option, tissue is taken from the patients own body. The new tissue usually comes from the patellar tendon or the hamstring.
Allograft is another type of graft. This tissue is harvested from a cadaver.
There are good and bad points about each choice. Your surgeon will talk with you about the options and help you decide which would work best in your situation.
ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Reconstruction surgery is normally performed with the use of an arthroscope. To perform knee arthroscopy, your surgeon will create a small poke-hole in your knee and insert a tiny camera. This camera is connected to a video monitor and allows your surgeon to see the inside of your knee.
While your surgeon is looking, he or she will check for damage to other tissues. If the cartilage or ligament in your knee has been otherwise damaged, that problem will also be attended to during your procedure.
General anesthesia is usually used for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction. With this type of anesthesia, you will sleep through the surgery and wake up when all the work has been done.
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ACL Reconstruction.
Your surgeon will also make a few other small incisions around the knee. These will allow the surgeon to place your new ligament properly. Your damaged ligament will be taken out with a shaver or some other instrument. The exception to this is that, if you will be using an autograft, a larger incision will be needed to remove the tissue that is to be used for grafting.
Your new ligament will be put into place using bone tunnels which will allow the surgeon to place the new ligament in exactly the same location as the old ligament. Once in place, the ligament will be secured with screws or some other type of fastener to prevent it from moving. When your surgery is done, your incisions will be closed, and your knee will be bandaged.
One advantage of arthroscopy is that your surgeon can create a complete and accurate video record of the procedure and review it with you afterwards. You will be able to watch the surgery on a video monitor and talk with the surgeon about any questions or concerns you may have.
To be considered for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction, some symptoms you might be experiencing include, knees that give way, weakness and instability in the knees, and knee pain. If your ADL (activities of daily living) are affected and/or you are not able to participate in sports as you wish, these are further reasons to consider ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction.
Complications are rare with this type of surgery; however, they do exist. Some things to keep in mind are the possibility of: Failure to heal, failure to relieve symptoms, stiffness and pain in the knees, continued weakness in the knees, infection at the site of the surgery, nerve damage, and bleeding.
More Information:
Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson,
ACL Surgery in Tigard and
Tigard Knee Injuries.
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