ACL Surgery

When you’ve damaged the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in your knee, the orthopedic specialists at Metro Orthopedics & Sports Therapy (M.O.S.T) in Potomac, Maryland offer a variety of treatments to help you recover including ACL surgery. The orthopedic surgical team has years of experience in performing ACL surgeries to help people like you get back to the activities and sports you love. To learn more, call or schedule a consultation online today. “M.O.S.T” serves the communities of Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Washington DC, Chevy Chase, Frederick, Poolesville, McLean, VA, Dulles, VA, and Fairfax, VA.

ACL Surgery Q & A

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four ligaments in your knee joint that connect your upper and lower leg bones. It runs diagonally across the middle of your knee.

Your ACL holds your shinbone (tibia) in place, preventing it from sliding in front of your thighbone (femur). It also provides rotational stability.

When you tear your ACL, and nonsurgical treatments like immobilization and physical therapy aren’t effective, you may need surgery to repair your knee. ACL repair typically involves a tendon graft to restore stability and strength within your knee.

The ACL is one of the most frequently injured ligaments in the knee, especially in athletes who play sports like soccer, basketball, or football. Injuries typically occur during pivoting, sidestepping, or awkward landings. ACL injuries also follow direct impacts to the knee, although these injuries are less common.

During ACL surgery, your doctor carefully removes your ACL and begins the process of grafting new tendon tissue in its place. The graft may be harvested from elsewhere in your body, like your hamstring or thigh.

Your doctor then attaches the tendon to your bones with screws that hold it in place while it integrates with your bone.

Whenever possible, your Metro Orthopedics doctor uses minimally-invasive surgical techniques like arthroscopy to perform your ACL repair. Minimally-invasive surgeries typically have quicker and easier recoveries as well as reduced risk of infection and scarring.

After surgery, you receive specific instructions to facilitate your recovery. For example, you need to rest and stay off your knee for several days.

Your Metro Orthopedics doctor also provides a brace for immobilizing your knee while your recover and your new tendon integrates with the bones in your knee. Typically, you wear the brace for up to four weeks following surgery and use crutches to keep weight off your knee while you recover.

Metro Orthopedics doctors often prescribe physical therapy after surgery. Physical therapy helps you rebuild strength and flexibility in the muscles surrounding your knee to restore and improve your range of motion and prevent future injuries.

If you want to know more about ACL surgery and your options to treat ACL injuries, call or schedule a consultation online today.