Tearing your ACL is a significant injury. The majority of the time, the best treatment is surgical intervention to perform what is called an ACL reconstruction. The torn ACL ligament is reconstructed using either a portion of the patients own patellar tendon, or some of the tendons from the patients hamstring. These types of grafts are known as Autografts. There is another option known as Allografts that can be used for reconstructing the ACL. Allografts are tissues from a donor. The pros and cons of graft choices will be discussed in another section.
As stated above, the best option is a reconstruction. Many people can and do lead “normal” lives without having their ACL fixed. The choice as to what to do is determined by many factors. Some of these factors include but are not limited to: Lifestyle, desired return to activity level, age and type or amount of damage to your knee.
If a person does choose to try and return to activities without having surgery, there are a few things to keep in mind. A joint is only as strong as the muscles that support it. A good rehabilitation program is vital to any type of recovery from an orthopedic injury.
A person who is ACL deficient runs the risk of doing more damage to their knees. Remember the ACL is the major stabilizer of the knee, and extra movement can damage other structures such as the meniscus or the articular surfaces of the femur or tibia.
Below are some pictures from a surgery showing a torn then reconstructed ACL.
The photo on the left shows a torn ACL. You can see where the ligament has torn away.
The photo on the right shows the graft in place. This is the patient’s new ligament.
The ACL in these pictures runs from the top left to the bottom right of the joint.
View the follwing videos of ACL surgeries:
