“When can I return to sport?” is a common question asked by patients following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The answer to this question is complex and dependent on a variety of injury and patient factors.
Phases of your Banff Sport Medicine Postoperative Rehabilitation Program after ACL Reconstruction
Rehabilitation following Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction is an essential part of a full recovery. The ultimate goal of this rehabilitation program is to restore functional ability and enable you to return to your sport or physical activities, with a reduced risk for additional injury.
Will I get osteoarthritis in my knee if I don’t have an ACL reconstruction?
This is a common question asked by patients that have injured or torn their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when considering reconstructive surgery as a treatment.
Why sticking to your ACL reconstruction rehabilitation is important
ACL tears are one of the most commonly reported knee injuries in athletes, particularly in pivoting and cutting sports such as soccer, basketball, football and rugby. In our corner of the world, skiing and snow sports are another common cause of ACL injuries.
ACL graft Myths: Fact or Fiction with Dr Greg Buchko
Reconstructive surgery is currently the gold standard treatment for an injured or torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In ACL reconstruction, the torn ACL is surgically removed and replaced with another tendon or “graft”.
Allograft choice for ACL reconstruction
An allograft is one of several types of grafts that can be used to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). An allograft is tissue harvested from a human donor.
Patellar Tendon Autograft
The patellar tendon autograft is the second most common choice used for an ACL reconstruction autograft after the hamstring tendon autograft.
Quadriceps Tendon Autograft
The quadriceps tendon autograft is the third type of autograft used for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. —– Learn more about the other graft types here —– Although the use of this graft was first described in 1979, it has not been widely used until more recently. The most recent surveys show that worldwide, this…
Synthetic grafts for use in ACL reconstruction
Synthetic grafts for ACL reconstruction were first introduced in the early 1980’s, however, they are rarely used. These first generation grafts showed initial promise with short term follow up, but had a high failure rate in the long run.
Hamstring Tendon Autograft
Autografts in ACL reconstruction are tendons harvested from the patient’s own body at the beginning of the procedure and prepared as a tissue graft that can be inserted into the knee during the same procedure in an attempt to restore the normal anatomy of the ACL.