Overview

One of the best inventions in orthopedic medicine for athletes was that of ACL repair. While an ACL injury once was a career ending injury, athletes are now able to fully heal thanks to advances in medicine. The anterior cruciate ligament cannot be repaired simply by being mended back together; it must be reconstructed using a tendon graft. There are different graft choices that surgeons make in harvesting the replacement tendon, and the typical choices are allografts and autograft. Each graft has its advantages and disadvantages. Dr. Santosh Kumar & his team can help patients decide which treatment is ideal

Depending on the severity of the injury, Dr. Santosh Kumar may recommend reconstructive surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is used to rebuild the ligament in the center of the knee, replacing it with a new ligament that is grafted from either the patient or a cadaver. Since the ACL keeps the tibia (shin bone) in place, a tear can cause the knee to give out. Surgery is not always necessary, but it is highly recommended for active individuals.

Advancements of the method of surgery used to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament have moved the injury from crippling to treatable. Former techniques involved simply repairing the torn anterior cruciate ligament, while newer methods involve the complete reconstruction of the torn ligament. There are a variety of tendon grafts that can be used in reconstructing a torn ACL, but your surgeon will choose which type of graft will be used based on each patient's unique condition.