Ligament Reconstruction FAQs
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL ) of the Knee
How common is ACL Injury and Surgery for ACL tear?
Anterior cruciate ligament is one of the commonest knee injuries in sports and day-to-day life. It is estimated that around 1, 00,000 to 2, 00,000 ACL injuries occur per year in the United States and roughly around 70,000 ACL reconstructions are performed.
What are the symptoms of ACL tear?
Patients with ACL insufficiency can walk in a straight line. But when they attempt to change the direction suddenly while walking or running, they may feel the knee joint giving away. Additional symptoms like Pain and repeated joint swellings may be present due to injuries to meniscus and cartilage.
Is it important to have reconstruction surgery for ACL tear?
ACL tears do not have the capacity to heal by themselves. This is because of poor blood supply and the presence of joint fluid. Similarly, the torn edges of the ligament cannot be sutured together, as this procedure has very high failure rates and has been given up. The ideal way to get back the function of ACL is to have reconstruction of ACL.
Even though patients can manage activities like walking or climbing stairs without ACL, ACL reconstruction is indicated in the following situations:
- To allow return to sports and high level of activity - exercises & jogging.
- Those who experience instability.
- Concomitant meniscus and cartilage injury - as it can give rise to symptoms like locking, pain and joint swellings. When arthroscopy is performed for these symptoms, ACL reconstruction can also be done at the same time.
- Long term ACL insufficiency can lead to additional meniscus and cartilage damage and result in early wear and tear. Early ACL reconstruction might help avoid these complications.
ACL healing cannot be achieved by any internal medicine or external oil massage. Similar attempts to compensate the ACL deficiency by exercising the muscles have also been futile. The dynamic stability offered by the muscle cannot compensate the static stability afforded by the ACL.
Yes, ACL reconstruction is done using a few types of grafts and also by a variety of fixation methods to fix the graft to the bone. At Ortho One, we practise all varieties of grafts and techniques. The choice of graft and fixation technique is decided based on the requirements of the patients.
Autograft refers to a graft or tissue taken from the body of the patient himself whereas; allograft is from the body of a donor.