Conditions & Treatments

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction - Treatments

Treatment for an ACL tear will vary depending upon the individual’s needs.

Nonsurgical Treatment

A torn ACL will not heal without surgery. A nonsurgical treatment may be effective for patients who are elderly or have a very low activity level. If the overall stability of the knee is intact, your doctor may recommend nonsurgical options such as the following:

Bracing- A brace is used to protect your knee from instability. To further protect your knee, you may be given crutches to keep you from putting weight on your leg.
Physiotherapy- As the swelling goes down, a careful rehabilitation program is started. Specific exercises will restore function to your knee and strengthen the leg muscles that support it.

Surgical Treatment

To surgically repair the torn ACL, and restore knee stability, the ligament must be reconstructed. A tissue graft will be used to replace your torn ligament. This graft acts as a scaffolding for a new ligament to grow on.

Grafts can be obtained from several sources:

• Patellar tendon

• Hamstring or quadriceps tendons

• Cadaver graft (allograft)

There are advantages and disadvantages to all graft sources. Your own orthopaedic surgeon to help determine which graft is suitable for you.

Surgical Procedure

ACL reconstruction is done with an arthroscope using small incisions. Arthroscopic surgery is less invsive. The benefits of using invasive techniques include less pain from surgery, shorter length of stay in the hospital, and quicker recovery times.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation plays a vital role in getting you back to your daily activities. A physiotherapy program will help you regain knee strength and motion.

If you have surgery, the physiotherapist focuses on returning motion to the joint and surrounding muscles. This is followed by a strengthening whichis designed to protect the new ligament. This strengthening will gradually increase the stress across the ligament. The final phase of rehabilitation is aimed at a functional return.