The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the four major ligaments that provide stability and support to the knee. When the ACL is injured or torn as the result of a sports injury or forceful impact from an accident, an orthopedic surgeon will assess the degree of the injury, level of damage, and the potential for re-injury in order to determine the appropriate course of treatment. When surgery is necessary to repair damage to the ACL, a surgeon will perform either a repair or a reconstruction of the ACL depending on the injury.
ACL Surgery in Los Angeles
In reconstruction surgeries (the more common procedure), a surgeon will use a graft to repair the tear in the ligament. An autograft, which comes from the patient’s own body, is the most common choice. Autografts can be taken from:
- Patellar tendon (kneecap tendon)
- Hamstring tendon
In some cases, a surgeon will opt to use what is known as an allograft, where the tissue used is taken from a cadaver donor.
When a patient has suffered an avulsion fracture, where a fragment of bone breaks away with the torn ligament, a surgeon will typically perform the repair surgery option, where the broken bone fragment is reattached to the bone. This is usually the only instance in which a repair surgery will be performed.
Specialists like Dr. Eric Millstein, who performs ACL surgery in Los Angeles, usually use arthroscopic surgery for reconstructions. Arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive procedure in which several small incisions are made around the knee joint, after which a surgical instrument known as an arthroscope is inserted into the joint. An arthroscope is outfitted with a light and camera, which projects pictures of the interior of the joint to video screens in the operating room, helping to guide surgeons during the delicate procedure.Next read more about revision knee surgery in Beverly Hills.
Next read more about revision knee surgery in Beverly Hills.
