The most common method of treatment for an ACL tear is surgical treatment. This is because a grade three tear is the most common ACL tear, and surgery is the only way to treat this case. Surgical treatments vary based on the patient. Things such as open/closed growth plates, injury, the form of tear, the severity of the tear, and activity level are considered before moving forward with surgery (Hopkins Medicine). Grade two injury treatment depends on the patient’s condition and their doctor’s opinion. A grade one injury is most appropriate for non-surgical treatment (Hopkins Medicine). This can come in many different forms depending on the situation. Nonsurgical treatment for an ACL injury could include: physical therapy, immobilization/bracing, and a pause from activity or sports. It is most common for patients to choose to have ACL reconstruction surgery. This is especially the case if the patient wishes to fully return back to sports or other activities. This surgery also helps to prolong the time that the patient could develop arthritis in that area (Yale Medicine). “Approximately 175,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries are performed each year in the U.S.” (Yale Medicine). The success rate for this surgery is very high if performed properly. However, studies have shown that one is “six times more likely to have another ACL surgery after having one done” (Northwestern Medicine). ACL reconstruction is an arthroscopic procedure (Yale Medicine). This means that the procedure involves several small incisions and a camera is inserted, which allows the surgeon to view inside the knee. This procedure is also an outpatient procedure, which means that the patient would be allowed to go home the same day the procedure is performed. In this surgery, the surgeon will, usually, fully remove the damaged ligament, and replace it with a new one. This new ACL would either be an autograft or an allograft. For an autograft, the tissue is taken from another part of the body. Such as a patella tendon-bone autograft, which is taken from the central third of the patellar tendon and a piece of bone that is attached to the kneecap and tibia (University of Michigan Medicine). Another autograft is the hamstring autograft, which is when two tendons are taken from the hamstring muscles and wrapped together to form the newly reconstructed ACL (University of Michigan Medicine). Next, allografts are also used. Allografts are tissue from a donor that is used as the new ACL. Unfortunately, it is very common to damage other parts of the knee when the ACL is torn. These parts may be, the medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament, and the posterior cruciate ligament (Cleveland Clinic). Also, bone fractures, muscle strains, and meniscus tears are common, as well. These other possible injuries affect the surgery and other treatments. After this surgery, recovery time may be around 6-12 months depending on the patient, surgeon, and physical therapist (Yale Medicine).
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