Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear (ACL) Reconstruction

Treatment for an ACL tear will vary depending upon the patient’s individual needs. For example, the young athlete involved in agility sports will most likely require surgery to safely return to sports. The less active, usually older, individual may be able to return to a quieter lifestyle without surgery.

Nonsurgical Treatment

A torn ACL will not heal without surgery.  But nonsurgical treatment may be effective for patients depending on age and activity level. If the overall stability of the knee is intact, your doctor may recommend simple, nonsurgical options.

Bracing

Your doctor may recommend a brace to protect your knee from instability. To further protect your knee, you may be given crutches to keep you from episodes of your knee giving way which may cause further damage.

Physical therapy

As the swelling goes down, a careful rehabilitation program is started. Specific exercises will restore function to your knee and strengthen the leg muscles that support it.

Surgical Treatment

Rebuilding the ligament

Most ACL tears cannot be sutured (stitched) back together. To surgically repair the ACL and restore knee stability, the ligament must be reconstructed. Your doctor will replace your torn ligament with a tissue graft. This graft acts as a scaffolding for a new ligament to grow on. Grafts can be obtained from several sources. Often they are taken from the patellar tendon, which runs between the kneecap and the shinbone. Hamstring tendons at the back of the thigh are also a common source of grafts. Sometimes a quadriceps tendon, which runs from the kneecap into the thigh is uncommonly used. You may choose to have a cadaver graft used.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all graft sources. You should discuss graft choices with your own orthopaedic surgeon to help determine which is best for you. Because the regrowth takes time, it is generally six months or more before an athlete can return to sports after surgery.

Procedure

Surgery to rebuild an anterior cruciate ligament is done with an arthroscope using small incisions. Arthroscopic surgery is less invasive. The benefits of less invasive techniques include less pain from surgery, less time spent in the hospital, and quicker recovery times. Unless ACL reconstruction is treatment for a combined ligament injury, it is usually not done right away. This delay gives the inflammation a chance to resolve, and allows a return of motion before surgery. Performing an ACL reconstruction too early greatly increases the risk of arthrofibrosis, or scar forming in the joint, which would risk a loss of knee motion.