Sunday, 10 June 2012

ACL Reconstruction- Correcting Injuries of Ligaments and Providing Knee Stability


The youngsters have always been very enthusiastic about sports. They have always been actively involved in some sport or the other. But with such involvement, they often face serious injuries. Such injuries usually take place in the lower limbs especially the knees. A very common type of injury in the lower limbs is the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) rapture. Such an injury has risks of both short as well as long term disabilities. The ACL is a very important structure for providing the knee the required stability during twists and turns. But there is no much to worry about when a person experiences such an injury because there are modernised techniques to correct it.

ACL reconstruction is carried out today with different choices. These choices are graft and include hamstring and patellar tendon and allograft or donor tissue. An ACL once torn does not heal properly back. When there is ACL rapture, the tendon looks frayed. In order to reconstruct the ACL, the torn ends are removed and a separate structure known as the graft is replaced with the ligament. ACL Surgeon performs an arthroscopic surgery in order to reconstruct the ligament. Certain complications like infections and nerve damage may arise because of re-injury.

The ACL is of major functionality of the knee and provides great protection to it while carrying out various activities. Therefore any kind of injuries of the ACL should not be ignored and the injured person should immediately consult an ACL surgeon so that any further complications do not arise.

Monday, 4 June 2012

All about ACL Reconstruction-How to Find the Best ACL Surgeon


If you have been suffering from knee pain or unable to continue playing sports and performing other activities or finding ways to get relief from ligament injuries, opting for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, which is sometimes also known as Anterior cruciate ligament repair, would be the best thing for you.

This procedure of surgical tissue graft replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament for restoring its function is performed arthroscopically by an ACL surgeon who may recommend it after complete evaluation of medical history and reports. The ACL Reconstruction surgery may even be recommended for restoration of joint anatomy, maintenance of the aerobic conditioning and psychological well being, and provision of static and dynamic stability.

It is important to note here that the type of graft to be used for ACL reconstruction (autografts or allografts) would typically depend on age and lifestyle choices. Autografts employ bone or tissue harvested from the body of the patient while allografts include bone or tissue from the body of a donor. The ACL surgeon recommends ACL reconstruction surgery using different graft choices such as patellar tendon, hamstring tendon, and donor tissue (allograft) and may advise you to stop taking drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), and other drugs that may make it harder for your blood to clot.

Since this is a highly specialized surgery, it is very important for you to find the best ACL surgeon that would help you get the complete benefits from the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction procedures. For this, you can contact your nearest medical facility or search online for "anterior cruciate ligament surgeon", "ACL surgeon", or "anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction," to find access to websites of orthopaedic surgeons that can help you with treatment and relief.