WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS AFTER SURGERY?
The majority of patients experience no complications and return to full activity between 6 and 8 months after surgery. However, the most common complications include pain in the front of the knee and loss of knee motion. Pain in the front of the knee occurs in 10-20 percent of patients. Fortunately, it can usually be controlled by modification in the physical therapy protocol. Loss of motion occurs in less than 5 percent of patients and is most common in patients with limited motion before surgery. While correctable with more aggressive therapy in most patients, it may necessitate re-operation in rare cases. In some individuals, intermittent pain and swelling occur with activity despite a successful ligament reconstruction. This is often related to the amount of meniscal or cartilage injury that was present and identified at the time of surgery. In the absence of identifiable causes, a small percentage of patients will end up with a persistent detectable increased amount of motion in t
