Do most people want a cadaver tissue to fix a torn ACL?
Study results presented today at the 2008 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., have found that ACL reconstructions that use cadaver tissue fail in 23% of patients younger than 40. An estimated 100,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions are performed each year in the United States. About 20% of ACL reconstructions in the U.S. use cadaver donor tissue, according to the researchers. ACL injuries are more common in people who participate in strenuous athletic activities and high-risk sports. Pro golfer Tiger Woods, 32, recently underwent ACL reconstruction on his left knee after winning this year’s U.S. Open in a sudden-death playoff. It is unknown which type of tissue was used in his procedure. ACL reconstructions can be performed using one’s own tissue or cadaver tissue, which is donated tissue from a deceased person. The choice is a decision that the surgeon and patient must make together after weighing options. For the curren
