Knee ligament/ ACL reconstruction
Albury Insight Orthopaedic and Sports Injury Clinic offers knee ligament and ACL reconstruction. Knee injuries can be caused in many different ways, most commonly in contact sports, especially for professional athletes. However injuries can also be caused by instances such as car accidents, or any trauma to the knee area. The most common knee injury is the Meniscus tear.
Knee Ligament Repair
Knee ligaments are made of elastic connective tissue, surrounding a joint to give it support and limit its movement. These ligaments can often get damaged, and when this happens, the joint becomes unstable and severely limits knee movement, resulting in the inability to pivot, turn, or twist the leg. Surgery is the most common repair for this injury.
There are four types of knee ligaments which can be injured. These include:
ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament - in the center of the knee. It controls rotation and forward movement of the shin bone.
PCL
Posterior cruciate ligament - located in the center of the knee, controlling backward movement of the tibia (shin bone).
MCL
Medial collateral ligament - gives stability to the inner knee.
LCL
Lateral collateral ligament - gives stability to the outer knee.
Meniscus Tear
Meniscus tear is the most common knee injury in athletes, which can be caused by a sudden bend or twist in your knee. Elderly people are also more prone to degenerative meniscal tears as the cartilage wears out and weakens with age.
Treatment for a meniscus tear will depend on its size, what kind it is, and where it’s located within the cartilage. Surgery is commonly needed, but for some, physical therapy is sufficient.
Knee arthroscopy is the commonly recommended surgical procedure for meniscal tears. The surgical treatment options include meniscus removal (meniscectomy), meniscus repair, and meniscus replacement. Meniscus repair is low-risk, with a rare chance of complications. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help reduce infection, or recommend compression stockings to prevent blood clots.
ACL Reconstruction
An ACL injury is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), most commonly occurring in sports. When an ACL injury occurs, many people hear a pop or feel a pop sensation in the knee. Your knee may swell, feel unstable and become too painful to bear weight.Once the ACL has been torn, it struggles to heal and typically will not heal if untreated.
Like the meniscus, treatment may vary from case to case, but often you will need surgery. You should seek immediate care if you think your ACL ligament has been torn. If not treated, you may experience knee instability, buckling of the knee, or giving-way of the knee. These must be avoided, or risk causing further problems like cartilage and meniscus tears and premature wear and tear resulting in arthritis of the knee.