Have you been diagnosed with the condition of an ACL ligament tear? If yes, reconstruction surgery is the solution. In this post, we will talk about its procedure and recovery.
What is ACL?
It is short for Anterior Cruciate Ligament. This ligament is found inside your knee joint. Simply put, it is one of the bands or strips of connective tissue that stabilise the knee.
ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament offers stability. It also prevents harmful forward movement of the leg bone.
Your knee joint is primarily formed by two bones, thigh bone or the Femur and the shin bone or the Tibia. The ACL prevents the rotational movement of the knee and also prevents the excessive forward movement of Tibia thus stabilising the knee joint.
Basically, one knee has four such connective tissues that hold all the knee joint bones together. To be more precise, a ligament offers bone-to-bone connectivity.
Other such ligaments are:
● Posterior Cruciate Ligament
● Lateral Collateral Ligament
● Medial Collateral Ligament
All these rope-like structures connect your thigh bone to your leg bones making a knee joint happen.
What is ACL Surgery?
This is also called ACL reconstruction surgery. In this procedure, the surgeon fixes a tear in the ligament in question.
The tear is treated with the help of a graft.
What is a Graft?
It is a piece of living tissue that is used by an ACL reconstruction surgeon to treat the torn section of the ACL ligament.
This graft is nothing but a tissue taken either from the body of the patient itself or any other person. This tissue can be sourced from the following regions:
● The main patellar tendon (a band or connective tissue found near the knee cap that connects a muscle mass to a bone), or
● The hamstring (it is one of the tendons in the knee that offer muscles-to-bone connectivity)
Types of Grafts
Two types of grafts can be used to reconstruct an ACL tear; these are as follows.
● Autografts
● Allografts
Autografts are those pieces of living tissue that are completely sourced or taken from the patient’s own body.
Allografts are those pieces of living tissue that are obtained from a cadaver donor.
A cadaver donor is a human being who has passed away or is no longer alive, but their specific body parts are already donated for medical purposes. Cadaver is a specialised medical vocabulary that means a dead body.
Consider the following regions to draw an autograft:
● Hamstring Tendon
● Patellar Tendon
● Quadriceps Tendon
All of these are soft strip-like structures that connect muscles to bones.
How is this surgery performed?
In short, the surgeon will use a graft to replace the damaged ACL tissue.
For a detailed description of the procedure, consider the following.
Anaesthesia: First, you will be made either completely unconscious or partially as per the requirement or the call made by your surgeon. In General Anaesthesia, you go under deep sleep throughout the procedure. However, if it is Regional Anaesthesia, only a specific part of your body will be numb and sensation-less.
Graft Preparation: In this step, the graft the surgeon has selected will be prepared so that it meets the conditions of your ACL tear as best as possible. This is a very crucial step as a wrong-sized graft can complicate the matter post-operation.
Arthroscopy: Once the graft is all set to be replaced, the reconstruction surgery is done with the help of arthroscopy. This is a process where the entire operation will be performed through a special camera known as an arthroscope and other surgical instruments by just making a few holes over the knee skin to reach the torn part of the anterior cruciate ligament.
ACL Reconstruction: Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to have clear visuals of the torn ligament. So, after this visual reach, the torn ACL tissue will be removed so the graft can be placed to mimic the previous conditions.
Everything is done using small holes through your knee skin.
Closure: When the ACL has been repaired, the medical authority handling your case will close incisions using either sutures or surgical staples. The operative area will be covered with care and precision.
Connect with us if you want to know about the full ACL reconstruction surgery cost in Delhi.
Recovery Timeline
Although we all have many similarities, the recovery process after the reconstruction can vary from person to person. Yet, for a general overview, consider the following timeline.
Immediate Post-Surgery Week 1-2
During the initial days up to at least one week, you will have to spend your entire time in the recovery room. There, it will be ensured that all the possible complications are detected and controlled in time.
Because you have just undergone a major ligament reconstruction, there will be a lot of pain post-operation. To relieve the condition, you will be put on pain medication.
In addition to that, you might also have to wear the brace for the immobilisation of the operated knee joint. For a while, you could also have to use walking assistance.
Besides painkillers, to reduce pain and swelling, elevation and ice techniques will be used.
Rehabilitation (Early, Intermediate, and Advanced 2-6 Months)
Once you have recovered enough, a team of professionals will supervise you and physiotherapy will start. In this therapy, your operated joint muscles will be worked through various types of exercises, heat treatments and massages.
This will help regain joint mobility.
As soon as you start showing the symptoms of normal recovery, the surgeon will promote gradual weight-bearing exercises.
Afterwards, the advanced sort of rehabilitation training will be initiated so you can get back to your previous life.
Return to Activity (Months 6-12)
By this time, you will have recovered well so your physiotherapy almost stops. You will be recommended to start your previous lifestyle gradually.
Your surgeon might tell you to go slow and stay away from high-impact activities.
Gradually, your treated joint will recover from the surgery completely and you won’t have any complications under normal circumstances.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an orthopedic surgeon in Delhi NCR, ensure you find a well-qualified specialist first. And if you have been suggested ACL reconstruction surgery, don’t worry. It is not a very complicated procedure. You will be up and running soon. The only thing you need to ensure is that you connect with the right surgeon.
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