A torn ligament can't be repaired by stitching it back together. It is usually reconstructed by grafting tendons from your own body such as patellar and hamstring tendons or a synthetic graft to replace the torn ligament.
ACL surgery will help improve the stability of the knee and stop it giving way. The decision to have knee surgery will depend on the extent of ACL damage and whether it's affecting the quality of life. If the injured knee is stable and the injured person does not have an active lifestyle, the orthopaedic specialist may decide not to do ACL
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reconstruction surgery. Commonly, the vast majority of ACL reconstruction surgeries fully restore the function of the knee and patients are able to resume normal activities after six months. However, the knee may not be exactly like it was before the injury. In some cases the repaired knee may still experience some pain and swelling and if other structures in the knee are also damaged, it may not be possible to fully repair them. |
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As with all types of surgery, there are some risks associated with knee surgery. They include: infection (less than 1%), blood clot (about 1 in 1,000), knee pain (up to 18%) and knee weakness and stiffness.
After ACL surgery, there's also a small chance (less than 10%) that the newly grafted ligament may fail.
If the first operation is unsuccessful, further surgery may be recommended. However, subsequent operations are often more difficult and don't usually have the same long-term success rate as a first tendon repair. |