Arthroscopic ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction surgery procedures have come a long way over the years. Orthopedic surgeons get a lot of practice with this particular knee injury because it's so common. According to the AAOS (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons) their was 50,000 hospital admissions in 1994 for ACL and PCL related injuries. I later became one of those statistics when my ACL tore during a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament. When I stood up after the grappling match, the injured knee buckled backwards and my heart sunk. This knee injury wasn't going to disappear and it was time to see an orthopedic surgeon.
After a traumatic knee injury, people will find themselves in the local emergency room getting X-rays, MRI's, Casts, and other diagnostic testing to determine the damage. Initial treatment after injury is ice, anti-inflammatory medication, and some form of physical therapy to restore range of motion in the damaged knee. ACL tears occur from a sudden direction change, landing incorrectly, traumatic collision, and over rotation. Patients typically report a popping sensation (and sound) deep inside the knee followed by instability that they've never had before. In some televised sporting events an athlete will damage this ligament and continue to play, but once they put weight on the injured leg they collapse. The anterior cruciate ligament is the major stabilizing ligament in the knee (especially rotational stability) and prevents the femur from sliding backwards on the tibia. It's located in the center of the knee joint and go's from the thigh bone (femur) to the shine bone (tibia). This ligament essentially prevents the knee from buckling backwards.
Some knee injuries will force patients into the emergency room. However, a lot of people will tear the ACL or other ligaments in the knee and wait a few months to see how the knee holds up. Interestingly, many knee surgeons suggest that patients put off ACL reconstructive surgery until the swelling go's down, range of motion improves, and quad strength is increased (thigh muscles). Strengthening the injured leg and getting range of motion back prior to surgery is the strategy. This works on people with complete or partial tears. Severe knee injuries involving several ligaments and other fractures are usually operated on immediately.
Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament surgery is performed by an Orthopedic Surgeon who are amongst the elite in the medical field. These highly skilled surgeons have a lot of responsibility because lives are literally at stake. Orthopedic surgeons are medical doctors who diagnosis and treat injuries to the musculo-skeletal system including ligaments, bones, joints, tendons, nerves, and muscles. For ACL repair, surgeons use a small instrument called a arthroscope that allows doctors to view and repair ligament damage without having to open the patient up. The tiny incision which the camera is inserted will be hooked up to a television monitor. This not only gives the physician an excellent surgical vantage point, but physicians are able to digitally record surgeries for patient review, doctors records, and insurance purposes.
Knee doctors that specialize in arthroscopic knee and ACL reconstructions often use the term "minimally invasive" to describe this procedure. This means surgeons can repair the ligament without causing a lot of physical trauma to the patient. Rather then the traditional "open knee surgery", doctors can get into the knee and repair it through three tiny holes. Arthroscopic and reconstructive knee surgeries are done at an outpatient facility where you can go home the same day. Other benefits of this type of surgery is quicker recover time, less pain and discomfort, and very little scarring. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has many surgical techniques and types of grafts to regain stability between the femur and tibia.
Success with this type of surgery depends a lot on who the doctor is. A tip to anyone looking to do this type of knee surgery is find the best orthopedic surgeons in your city who works with professional, Olympic, and college level athletes. If professional sports teams are trusting a particular surgeon that's a good sign. A great way to find the best knee doctors in your city is by asking local Physical Therapists. Full return to sports after surgery is around six months and your doctor will prescribe a full medical release when your ready.
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