What You Should Know About ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Reconstruction
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.
Arthroscopy is usually used when performing ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction. In this type of surgery, a small incision called a poke-hole is created to allow the surgeon to insert a very small camera into the knee. This lets the surgeon see the condition of the interior 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.
Click here for more on ACL Reconstructive Surgery.
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 surgeon will create bone tunnels to be used in placing the new ligament in the exact location of the old ligament. Once the bone tunnel is in place, your new ligament will be positioned and attached to the bone with screws or some other form of fastener. This will hold the ligament in its proper place. At the end of surgery, your surgeon will close your incisions and apply a bandage.
With arthroscopy, your surgeon can film your entire surgery. Then the two of you can watch the procedure on a video monitor, and your surgeon can share information gathered and answer any questions you may have.
Some reasons to consider having ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction are: Unreliable knees that give way unexpectedly, unstable or weak knees, pain in the knees, loss of ability to participate in athletic activities or to perform activities of daily living.
Of course, there are risks with any surgical procedure. Risks for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery include possible nerve damage, infection and excessive bleeding. Some patients experience knee stiffness, knee pain, and weakness in the knees. Additionally, there are times when the ligament fails to heal or the surgery does not alleviate the symptoms. - 23211
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.
Arthroscopy is usually used when performing ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction. In this type of surgery, a small incision called a poke-hole is created to allow the surgeon to insert a very small camera into the knee. This lets the surgeon see the condition of the interior 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.
Click here for more on ACL Reconstructive Surgery.
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 surgeon will create bone tunnels to be used in placing the new ligament in the exact location of the old ligament. Once the bone tunnel is in place, your new ligament will be positioned and attached to the bone with screws or some other form of fastener. This will hold the ligament in its proper place. At the end of surgery, your surgeon will close your incisions and apply a bandage.
With arthroscopy, your surgeon can film your entire surgery. Then the two of you can watch the procedure on a video monitor, and your surgeon can share information gathered and answer any questions you may have.
Some reasons to consider having ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction are: Unreliable knees that give way unexpectedly, unstable or weak knees, pain in the knees, loss of ability to participate in athletic activities or to perform activities of daily living.
Of course, there are risks with any surgical procedure. Risks for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery include possible nerve damage, infection and excessive bleeding. Some patients experience knee stiffness, knee pain, and weakness in the knees. Additionally, there are times when the ligament fails to heal or the surgery does not alleviate the symptoms. - 23211
About the Author:
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 Reconstruction in Portland and Sports Injuries in Portland.
posted by X - Men @ 1:51 AM
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