Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) forms a joint between the femur and tibia. It is a crucial ligament placed at the center of the knee and hence a torn or damaged can’t be repaired successfully. It requires ACL reconstruction surgery to fix the ligament.
Why Is Surgery Required For A Damaged Ligament?
A broken knee ligament has to be replaced with a new graft because a repaired ligament won’t be able to hold the bones together. Repairing a crucial ligament will make the knee joint susceptible to further damage. Surgery is required in the following conditions:
- If the knee becomes unstable due to a broken ligament
- All non-surgical methods including light exercises and heat therapies fail to give results
- Patients with chronic ACL deficiency require surgery
- Injuries that damage cartilage, ligaments, or tendons
How Is Ligament Surgery Performed?
For ACL reconstruction surgery, you need a graft that can be taken from your body called an autograft or from a deceased donor called an allograft. And the new graft is placed on the knee with the help of computer-aided navigation. It is a minimally invasive technique that requires a small incision on the knee joint to insert a narrow tube with a camera and light source.
Similar surgery is performed for constructing Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) which is another important ligament that can make your joint unstable. It also involves computer-aided navigation with the help of a fine tube with a camera. A small incision is made on the knee and the tube is inserted to carry out the reconstruction of the broken ligament.
The computer-aided process has made PCL reconstruction surgery a safe treatment. Also, the results achieved with computer-aided navigation are 100% satisfactory. Post-surgery, the patient is recommended physiotherapy, and depending on the age and the overall medical condition of the patient, one can take from 6-12 months to fully recover.
Benefits Of Ligament Surgery
- A small incision reduces healing time
- Leg control is re-stabilized with a full range of motion
- Walking without a limp
- Lesser suffering in post-operative treatment
- Restoring normal stability of the knee
But you also need to take care of the replaced ligament. Your surgeon will suggest some precautions that you need to take even after achieving full recovery.
Final Thoughts
ACL reconstruction surgery can help jump back to normal life. Since it is minimally invasive, you don’t have to worry about anything like dealing with scars after the surgery.
