Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears and Their Treatment: arthroscopic and minimally-invasive surgery for ACL reconstruction
Edited By: Christopher J. Wahl, M.D., Suzanne L. Slaney, PA-C, ATC, MMS
Last updated Friday, October 20, 2006
Figure 1a - Drawing of a right knee as viewed from the front. The ACL helps to prohibit abnormal forward motion of the tibia under the femur. Figure 1b - Arthroscopic view into the right knee. The metal probe sits across a normal-appearing ACL. Figure 2 - Clockwise from upper left: Diagram of the right knee. Upper right: Arthroscopic view of a chronically ACL-deficient knee. Lower right: Arthroscopic view of the ACL reconstructed with a hamstring autograft. SummaryOverview Tears or 'ruptures' of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are
treatable using arthroscopy and minimally-invasive surgical techniques.
The surgical success rates for ACL reconstruction exceed 95%. The
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the major supportive
ligaments in the knee. It extends from the lower leg bone (tibia) to
the thigh bone (femur) at the knee. This ligament primarily helps
control knee motion by preventing excessive forward movement of the
tibia in relation to the femur.
While the
ACL is not the most commonly injured knee ligament, tears of this ligament
frequently lead to chronic knee instability or “giving way”. ACL tears most commonly result during
athletics from vigorous cutting, landing, deceleration or twisting
injuries. It is less common for injuries
to result from physical contact or collisions during athletics. Many
patients who suffer an ACL tear will know immediately that something “feels
wrong” with the knee. Many patients
report feeling or hearing a “pop” associated with pain and a sense of “giving
out”. The joint will typically swell
within several hours which results in restricted motion of the knee. It will become uncomfortable to bear weight
on the injured leg, and the patient will prefer to walk with assistive devices
for added support, such as crutches or a cane.
The patient may experience the knee “giving way” when stressed with
simple activities such as walking or changing directions. In the
past, injuries to the ACL prohibited athletes from returning to “cutting” or
“pivoting” high-demand sports.
Currently, advanced surgical techniques reliably allow the return to athletic
activities and physically demanding labor within 6 months. The goals of surgically reconstructing the
ACL are to decrease the time lost to the injury, avoid additional injury to the
knee, and to return to unlimited participation in functional and athletic
activities. There are many different
ways that the ACL can be reconstructed, and depending on the age, activity
level, gender, and expectations of the patient.
Surgery for Anterior cruciate ligament - ACL - tear at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call 206-543-1552 or 425-646-7777 to make an appointment.
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