Concept

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Summary
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL reconstruction) is a surgical tissue graft replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament, located in the knee, to restore its function after an injury. The torn ligament can either be removed from the knee (most common), or preserved (where the graft is passed inside the preserved ruptured native ligament) before reconstruction through an arthroscopic procedure. ACL repair is also a surgical option. This involves repairing the ACL by re-attaching it, instead of performing a reconstruction. Theoretical advantages of repair include faster recovery and a lack of donor site morbidity, but randomised controlled trials and long-term data regarding re-rupture rates using contemporary surgical techniques are lacking. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is the ligament that keeps the knee stable. Anterior Cruciate Ligament damage is a very common injury, especially among athletes. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACL) surgery is a common intervention. 1 in every 3,000 American ruptures their ACL and between 100,000 and 300,000 reconstruction surgeries will be performed each year in the United States. Around $500 million health care dollar will come from ACL injuries. ACL injuries can be categorized into groups- contact and non-contact based on the nature of the injury Contact injuries occur when a person or object come into contact with the knee causing the ligament to tear. However, non-contact tears typically occur during the following movements: decelerating, cutting, or landing from a jump. ACL injury is 4-6 times higher in females than in males. ACL injuries account for a quarter of all knee injuries in the high school population. An increased Q angle and hormonal differences are a few examples of the gender disparity in ACL tear rates. Graft options for ACL reconstruction include: Autografts (employing bone or tissue harvested from the patient's body). Allografts (using bone or tissue from another body, either a cadaver or a live donor).
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