How Are ACL Tears Treated Surgically?
Many different surgical approaches have been tried for the ACL injured knee. Years of experience have shown that simply stitching the ligament together is rarely successful. Therefore, current techniques involve reconstructing the ACL by building a new ligament out of tissue harvested from one of the other tendons around the knee or from a cadaver. This tissue is pasted through drill holes in the thigh bone and shin bone, and then anchored in place to create a new ACL. Over time, the new ACL regains its blood supply and cells and becomes a living ligaments anchored to the bone on each end. What Happens After Surgery? Rehabilitation of the knee after ACL reconstruction requires time and hard work. Time off from work depends on the type of job, with people who work at desk jobs able to come back in one or two weeks, and construction workers usually not able to return to the job for six months. The same is true for athletes, with returning to golf occurring more rapidly than returning to
