Do the screws holding the graft in place need to be removed?
With both the patella tendon and hamstring grafts, the two bioabsorbable screws in your knee hold the graft in place while it is healing. They are very deep in your bone and cannot be felt by pressing on your knee from the outside. They do not need to be removed. It will take approximately two to three years for them to be fully absorbed. This slow absorption is not a problem since the ends of the graft are fully incorporated into the bone tunnels within two to three months.
