If the ACL is torn completely then surgery is often needed to allow people to return to sport. The standard treatment used in the UK is called ACL Reconstruction (ACL Recon) surgery; this involves replacing the ACL ligament with a substitute, like a piece of hamstring tendon taken from the back of the thigh. ACL Recon is usually successful in making the knee stable enough to return to sport, but patients often report that their knee does not feel normal after surgery. The need to take a piece of tissue to create the graft is an obvious disadvantage, potentially causing pain and weakness.
A new technique invented in Glasgow is called ACL Repair with Internal Brace. Rather than replacing the torn ACL with your tendon, in ACL Repair the torn ACL is reattached to its original position within the knee. This involves using a high strength Internal Brace to support and protect the ACL while it is healing.
Advantages
- More natural feeling knee
- Original ACL nerve fibres are retained- ‘proprioception’
- Minimally invasive
- Walking pattern may be better
- No need to take a substitute tendon
- Normal strength retained
- Accelerated recovery with faster return to work and sport
Requirements
Not everyone will be suitable for primary ACL repair. Don’t worry if you are not, however, you will still be able to have ACL reconstruction and can still have Internal Brace with this.
- The tear needs to be ‘acute’- ideally within 3 months of injury
- The ACL needs to be torn at the proximal (top) end (50% of tears, determined by MRI scan)
- The ACL tissue quality needs to be good- this can only usually be determined during the operation
If this is something that interests you, get in touch with Mr William Wilson for an urgent appointment to discuss your options.