ACL Surgery in Washington DC, Baltimore, Maryland, Virginia

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The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) can be torn if the knee is pulled or twisted in an unnatural way. ACL injuries are especially common in sports where side-to-side or pivoting movement of the knee is required; soccer, basketball, skiing, and football are frequent culprits. This condition is associated with the following symptoms:

An audible pop or snapping upon injury
Immediate and sustained swelling in the knee
Instability in the knee that can cause it to give out
Inability to bear weight
Significant pain that does not diminish in the hours following the injury
A feeling of fullness in the knee

Elderly, less active patients may not require surgery following an ACL injury — if the overall stability of the knee is healthy and the patient has a low activity level, the physician may recommend non-surgical options. For young athletes, however, surgery is usually needed. The torn ligament must be replaced with a tissue graft, which will then form the base for the new ligament to grow on.

Learn more about ACL injuries and treatment options from one of our expert surgeons located in Washington DC, Baltimore, Virginia, and Maryland.

Procedure

The fellowship-trained surgeons at MedStar Health can treat all types of ligament injuries–from simple problems to the most complex injuries. We take a comprehensive approach to your treatment, addressing your major injury and any other knee problems that may contribute to your discomfort. We address your entire injury using state-of-the-art surgical options and techniques. Our surgeons can perform a range of ligament repair operations, including:

Autograft – Your surgeon takes healthy muscle and tissue from other areas of your body and uses them to repair or reconstruct your torn ligament.
Allograft – Your surgeon transplants healthy tissue taken from a muscle tissue bank into your torn ligament.
Revision – We repair failed ACL/PCL reconstruction procedures performed at other institutions. We carefully evaluate your entire medical history to help identify the cause of failure and try to prevent it in the future.

Our top priority is to get you back to your desired level of activity. We will work with you every step of the way, no matter how challenging it may be.

Benefits

Patients have demonstrated less atrophy (partial or complete wasting away) than is commonly seen with conventional ACL reconstruction, as well as a more rapid functional recovery (at least one month faster, on average).

Additional benefits include:

Preservation of the nerves and the blood vessels
Preservation of the area where the ACL connects to the tibia (bone in the lower leg), reducing the chance for failure after ACL repair
Less soft tissue and bone damage
Small pinholes in the bone compared with conventional ACL reconstruction, thereby providing a better chance for success if conventional procedures need to be done in the future.
Ability to return to athletic activities after recovery
Knee pain relief
Restored range of motion
Improved knee strength

ACL surgery recovery

After ACL surgery, you will likely need several months to fully recover. Your doctor may recommend a combination of bracing, rehabilitation, and physical therapy to help you regain your strength and range of motion. Before your procedure, your doctor will discuss the details of your recovery with you.