Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction Surgery

Sports injuries are most commonly sustained during sports activities but can also occur due to trauma in other forms. A sports man is more susceptible to sports injury in case of contact sports or due to lack of

Regular exercise or practice

Proper stretching & warm up

Sports injuries are seen mainly in young active adults. With age the flexibility of the musculoskeletal system decreases and hence becomes more susceptible for injury to muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Sports injury can be acute after a high impact injury leading to dislocation of the joint, tear of a ligament or rupture of a tendon. Chronic injuries happen due to regular low impact injury to a particular tissue leading to inflammation of the area and constant nagging pain. Most common type of chronic sports injuries are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.

Most common type of sports injuries are sprain of the ligaments and strain of the muscles and tendons. These types of sports injuries cause acute pain and swelling. Rest along with common painkillers are sufficient for treatment.

More severe type of sports injuries are ligament tear, joint dislocation and tendon rupture.

Sports injuries are most commonly diagnosed clinically and confirmed after a MRI.

Sports injuries are commonly treated with arthroscopic surgery. Arthroscopy is the surgical technique of looking into a joint with the use of a scope. This is also referred to as key-hole surgery. An arthroscope consists of a lens system connected to a monitor where whole joint is visualised.

This has the advantage of going into the joint without disturbing and cutting the tissues around the joint. Recovery is faster, stiches are fewer, minimal blood loss and almost negligible chance of infection.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear is the most common type of sports injury needing surgical management. Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries are common in sports which need fast running with quick change in directions such as footballers, rugby players and tennis & badminton players.

ACL along with other ligaments of the knee joint such as Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) and Medial & Lateral Collateral Ligament (MCL&LCL) functions to stabilise the otherwise inherently unstable knee joint. ACL injury of the knee joint may be associated with injury of the other ligaments. Injury to the Meniscus, the cushioning pad between bones of the knee joint is more commonly injured along with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

Pain along with instability and apprehension of buckling of knee joint especially while using stairs is the main symptom of ACL tear.

Injury to the ACL is treated with arthroscopic reconstruction of the ligament with a tendon graft. There are few tendons in the human body which can be harvested and used as graft to replace the torn ligament. Tendon taken from the patient’s same or other leg is prepared and passed through tunnel made in the bones forming the knee joint and fixed.

After a precise and rigorous rehabilitation programme, the athlete becomes fit to resume his/her sports activities.

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FAQs

Can an ACL tear heal without surgery?

Partial or incomplete injury where only a few fibres of the ligament is torn may heal without surgery. Complete tear will mostly need arthroscopic reconstruction of the ligament.

Can you walk if you have a torn ACL?

One can walk with a torn ACL if its not painful. Patient experiences instability mostly during running and using stairs.

Where is the anterior cruciate ligament?

ACL is situated in the middle of the knee joint and connects the thigh bone femur to the leg bone tibia. It provides stability to the knee joint along with other ligaments PCL and MCL&LCL.

What is arthroscopic ACL reconstruction?

Reconstruction of the ACL ligament using tendon graft from the patient using an arthroscope.

How long does it take to recover from ACL surgery?

Recovery from an ACL reconstruction surgery may take up to 3months for regular activities, 6-9 months for return to sports activities, and may take up to 1 year for pre-injury level for athletes.

How long does Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction surgery take?

Actual surgical time for arthroscopic ACL reconstruction is about 30-45 mins in the hands of an experienced surgeon.

What is meniscus?

Meniscus is C shaped structure present in the knee joint. These are 2 in numbers one each for the inner and outer compartment of the knee joint. These act like cushion or shock absorbers between the bones of knee joint.

What is meniscus injury?

Meniscus injury are most commonly associated with ACL injury, though it can also be injured alone.

What is the treatment for meniscus injury?

An injured meniscus can be repaired arthroscopically if it is torn recently. Old and complex tears loose blood supply and are difficult to repair. In such type of meniscus injury meniscectomy or partial removal is the best treatment.

What do they do in ACL surgery?

New ACL is made using graft from the hamstring tendon or patellar tendon or peroneus tendon. Small tunnels are made in the thigh and leg bones under vision from an arthroscope. Prepared graft is passed through the tunnels and fixed with body compatible screws and buttons.

Will my knee ever be the same after ACL surgery?

After a successful ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation programme, a patient almost gets a near normal knee.

Can you re-tear your ACL?

Re-tear or re-rupture of ACL can occur. Patient will need to undergo revision ACL reconstruction surgery. Graft for surgery will now have to be harvested from the other leg.

When can you walk after ACL and meniscus surgery?

A patient can walk with crutches or walker right after surgery or the next day. Patients under go carefully planned gradual rehabilitation. Patient can resume office work within a month after surgery.

Can a meniscus tear heal on its own?

A simple and small meniscus tear may heal by itself. But a large or complex meniscus tear if left untreated will continue to cause symptoms.

What happens if you leave a torn meniscus untreated?

If left untreated, even a simple meniscus tear may worsen and turn into a complex tear. With time it may get loose in the knee joint leading to pain, instability, and locking of the knee replacement surgery. Eventually, even with surgery, a meniscus tear may not remain repairable.