Surgical treatment of anterior cruciate ligament injuries
What is it?
The operation for damage to the anterior cruciate ligament is to restore the ligament using replacement tissue.
When is this procedure indicated?
In patients with subjective instability, surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament may be indicated to restore stability and prevent further injury to other knee structures.
Therefore, the procedure is indicated in patients who experience subjective instability in the knee during directional changes in work and/or sports life.
How is it performed?
Surgery for anterior cruciate ligament injuries involves its reconstruction using replacement tissue.
Tendons taken from the same patient, such as the semitendinosus and gracilis, patellar tendon, or quadriceps tendon, may be used.
Alternatively, tendons from an external donor (allograft transplant from a bone bank) or synthetic tendons may be used.
The reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament is done arthroscopically, that is, operating inside the knee through small portals and a camera.
This allows for reducing invasiveness and also treating any other associated lesions.
Recovery
Rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery is essential to regain movement and function of the knee. It may vary depending on surgical technique. It is fundamentally based on active and passive mobilization exercises of the knee, strengthening exercises of the thigh muscles, proprioceptive re-education of the lower limbs and walking with progressive load with the help of crutches. The resumption of sports activities varies depending on muscle and proprioceptive recovery, not before 6/7 months after surgery, the time needed for the new ligament to integrate.
Short-term complications
Hematoma.
Long-term complications
Ecidivism of instability.
Where do we treat it?
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