An ACL injury is a rupture or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is one of the strong bands of tissue that connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia). ACL injuries are most common in sports like soccer, basketball, football, and downhill skiing that require quick stops or changes in direction, jumping, and landing.. When an ACL is torn, many people hear a pop or experience a "popping" feeling in their knees. Your knee may enlarge, become unstable, and be too painful to bear weight on.

WHO MIGHT NEED ACL RECONSTRUCTION

If you have ruptured your Anterior Cruciate Ligament, whether or not you will need ACL reconstruction surgery will be determined by a number of factors, including

• Your unique individual circumstances
• Personal goals
• Knee stability, and
• The extent of damage and tearing to your ACL and the surrounding knee structure.

Before deciding to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery on your damaged knee to repair a torn ACL, proceed with care. As long as your knee is not giving way, there is no need to rush into a decision. If you have fully ripped your Anterior Cruciate Ligament, you may need an ACL procedure to replace the damaged tissue in many situations. In other situations, people may attempt to resume their usual activities without undergoing surgery.

In other words, there are some situations in which you may wish to explore strengthening and rehabilitation of your knee without undergoing surgery or inserting a new ACL graft. Returning to regular activities without surgery is not always apparent since it is based on a variety of circumstances.

Treatment

The reconstruction of the ACL involves a series of fundamental stages, which may differ somewhat from case to case

• The orthopedic surgeon creates ports of entry for the arthroscope and surgical tools by making tiny incisions around the knee joint.
• The arthroscope is introduced into the knee and a saline solution is delivered to increase the space surrounding the joint. This frees up space for surgical instruments like the arthroscopic camera, which feeds footage to a display so the surgeon can view it within the knee joint.
• The surgeon then examines the tissues that surround the torn ACL, such as the meniscus and articular cartilage. If any of these soft tissues are damaged, the surgeon will repair them.
• The graft will then be harvested (unless a donor allograft is used). A graft is made by cutting a piece of tendon from another area of the patient's body and attaching it at either end to bone plugs obtained from the patella and tibia. These plugs aid in the stabilization of the graft that will become the new ACL.
• Using a flexible guidewire, the surgeon anchors the replacement ACL between the femur and tibia.
• The bone plugs are held in place using screws. These plugs will eventually grow into the surrounding bone.
• To conclude the surgery, the surgical instruments are withdrawn.