ACL Reconstruction - Rothman Orthopaedics

ACL reconstruction surgery requires complete rebuilding of the torn ligament using a tendon graft taken from the patient’s own body (autograft) or from a donor/cadaver body (allograft).

Overview of procedure

The type of tissue graft used is determined by the physician and patient. Whichever type is decided on, the tissue graft is threaded through the knee joint with the help of arthroscopic tools and is placed where the damaged ACL had been. The graft is then secured to the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (lower leg bone) using anchors and screws. This surgery takes approximately 1 hour. As it heals over the following months it will become the ACL. Any other injuries that occurred in conjunction with the ACL tear will be fixed during the same surgery.

Pre-treatment considerations

Activity, not age, should determine if ACL reconstruction surgery is recommended. However, in young children whose growth plates have not closed yet it can cause growth issues if the surgery is done too early or not modified properly. This treatment is considered for those with a full tear of their ACL who:

Are involved in hard manual labor
Athletes who want to continue to compete at the same level prior to injury, especially those involving jumping, cutting, and pivoting
Young and active patients
Those whose knee buckles or whom injured more structures than just their ACL.

Post-treatment considerations and recovery

This is an arthroscopic outpatient procedure, meaning the patient goes home the same day and does not require a hospital stay overnight.
The patient is put on crutches, put in a knee immobilizer, and sent home
Gradual physical therapy is begun on the first day to begin the progress of restoring full range of motion of the knee.
At 10-14 days terminal knee extension should be reached
Full recovery is expected at 6-8 months for a non-cutting/jumping athlete and 8-12 months for a cutting and jumping athlete.