In today’s society, injuries occur all around us: from a small paper cut, a tear of a ligament, or a bone breaking in the body. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four central ligaments that stabilize the knee (Ref). This ligament prevents the tibia from sliding from the front of the femur and runs diagonally in the middle of the knee (ref). It is estimated that 70 percent of these tears occur through non-contact, while the other 30 percent occur from direct contact, whether it be from an outside object or player in sports (ref). This injury may occur when an individual is decelerating immediately while sidestepping, which may cause an uncomfortable landing on the knee joint (ref). Injured ACLs can be replaced by a substitute graft of tendon, which can come from the patient’s hamstrings, quadriceps, or taken from a cadaver (ref). ACL reconstruction surgeries are considered to be one of the most routine orthopedic surgeries, yet the rotatory uncertainty is a primary concern when returning to sport (Ferretti, Monaco, & Vadalà, 2014). There are several complications that accompany these surgeries, such as joint tampering, kneecap pain, or extensor mechanism failure (EMF) (ref). Physical therapy and rehabilitation following the surgery can help return the knee to a condition close to what it was before the injury (ref).
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Considering both the side effects of reconstruction anterior cruciate ligament surgery and the potentially debilitating effects of leaving the ACL torn, it is reasonable to suggest that if an individual has fully torn their ACL, they should receive reconstructive surgery for a better quality of life. Some reconstruction surgeries for ACL tears, such as suture restorations, are not recommended as they have been proven to fail over time (ref). …show more content…
With chronic instability, such as leaving the ACL torn, up to 90 percent of patients will have meniscus damage when reassessed 10 or more years after initial injury. In participants who have a 10-year-old deficiency, the prevalence of articular lesions increases by up to 70 percent. ACL tears are best reconstructed from a substitute graft made out of tendon (ref). The grafts commonly used to replace the ACL include the patella tendon auto-graft originating from the participant, recommended for high-demand athletes, which is considered the “gold standard” for reconstruction (ref). Another auto graft method used with reconstruction is the Hamstring tendon, which is a faster recovery with a smaller incision (ref). If a patient’s ACL reconstruction surgery has already failed, a surgeon may recommend a quadriceps tendon auto graft (ref) or allografts, which is a tendon taken from a cadaver and are becoming increasingly popular due to their success of ACL reconstruction (ref). Physical therapy is a crucial part of ACL surgery, as much of the success of the reconstruction is based on beginning exercise immediately after surgery. Patients treated with surgical reconstruction have long-term success rates of 82-95 percent. The goal of the reconstruction surgery is to prevent instability and restore the function of the torn ligament creating a stable knee. This will allow the patient to return to sports and have an active life. During any type of surgery there is always complications and risks that may arise. Such as infection especially if an allograft tissue is used due to improper sterilization techniques. When the infection is inside the knee joint, there is concern about the ACL graft becoming infected as your body cannot effectively fight infection on the graft it may need to be removed (rrreeff).Blood clot in the veins, calf or thighs are potentially life-threatening complications that may break off and travel into lungs causing a stroke, which happens in 0.12 percent of patients. Recurrent instability due to rupture or stretching of the reconstructed ligament due to poor surgical technique which may effect 2.5 to 34 percent of individuals. Allografts are associated with infection, including viral transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C, despite careful screening and processing and have a higher failure rate. Quadriceps tendon auto graft has a higher risk of postoperative anterior knee pain and the incision is not cosmetically appealing. While the Hamstring tendon may be more susceptible to graft elongation, which may cause more laxity of the tendon. The patellar tendon reconstruction may leave the individual with pain while kneeling and slightly increased risk of postoperative stiffness, as well as postoperative pain behind the kneecap. Degenerative osteoarthritis was
Considering both the side effects of reconstruction anterior cruciate ligament surgery and the potentially debilitating effects of leaving the ACL torn, it is reasonable to suggest that if an individual has fully torn their ACL, they should receive reconstructive surgery for a better quality of life. Some reconstruction surgeries for ACL tears, such as suture restorations, are not recommended as they have been proven to fail over time (ref). …show more content…
With chronic instability, such as leaving the ACL torn, up to 90 percent of patients will have meniscus damage when reassessed 10 or more years after initial injury. In participants who have a 10-year-old deficiency, the prevalence of articular lesions increases by up to 70 percent. ACL tears are best reconstructed from a substitute graft made out of tendon (ref). The grafts commonly used to replace the ACL include the patella tendon auto-graft originating from the participant, recommended for high-demand athletes, which is considered the “gold standard” for reconstruction (ref). Another auto graft method used with reconstruction is the Hamstring tendon, which is a faster recovery with a smaller incision (ref). If a patient’s ACL reconstruction surgery has already failed, a surgeon may recommend a quadriceps tendon auto graft (ref) or allografts, which is a tendon taken from a cadaver and are becoming increasingly popular due to their success of ACL reconstruction (ref). Physical therapy is a crucial part of ACL surgery, as much of the success of the reconstruction is based on beginning exercise immediately after surgery. Patients treated with surgical reconstruction have long-term success rates of 82-95 percent. The goal of the reconstruction surgery is to prevent instability and restore the function of the torn ligament creating a stable knee. This will allow the patient to return to sports and have an active life. During any type of surgery there is always complications and risks that may arise. Such as infection especially if an allograft tissue is used due to improper sterilization techniques. When the infection is inside the knee joint, there is concern about the ACL graft becoming infected as your body cannot effectively fight infection on the graft it may need to be removed (rrreeff).Blood clot in the veins, calf or thighs are potentially life-threatening complications that may break off and travel into lungs causing a stroke, which happens in 0.12 percent of patients. Recurrent instability due to rupture or stretching of the reconstructed ligament due to poor surgical technique which may effect 2.5 to 34 percent of individuals. Allografts are associated with infection, including viral transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C, despite careful screening and processing and have a higher failure rate. Quadriceps tendon auto graft has a higher risk of postoperative anterior knee pain and the incision is not cosmetically appealing. While the Hamstring tendon may be more susceptible to graft elongation, which may cause more laxity of the tendon. The patellar tendon reconstruction may leave the individual with pain while kneeling and slightly increased risk of postoperative stiffness, as well as postoperative pain behind the kneecap. Degenerative osteoarthritis was