Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
The anterior cruciate ligament is an important ligament in the knee that acts as a bridge between the bone of the thigh and the shin. The ligament traverses the knee in the middle and stabilizes it. When this ligament tears (which happens mostly during high-impact contact sports), the person will feel severe pain and buckling of the knee. In such cases, ACL reconstruction can be performed to replace the ligament with a tendon. The tendon is usually taken from patients same or from opposite leg.
Before surgery, physical therapy will commence with the goal of reducing inflammation. This is done to improve the outcome of surgery as a stiff, rigid knee may not benefit fully from the surgery. The procedure will be performed under spinal anaesthesia through very small openings or slits. After the procedure, the patient will have to use crutches with the knee being secured in a brace for protection. The doctor will help in pain management after surgery. Detailed post-operative care instructions will be given, which will have to be followed. Physiotherapy too will start. Recovery will take a few weeks.