How is ACL surgery done?

A major advancement in recent years is the ability to complete an ACL reconstruction as an outpatient procedure due to arthroscopic surgery techniques. This means that we make a series of small incisions rather than one large one. Your OSC Orthopaedic Surgeon will pump in a saline solution to expand the knee, then insert the arthroscope, or camera. They see what is happening on a HDTV monitor in the operating room. Arthroscopic techniques allow them to see exactly what they are doing, which enables the best possible anatomical alignment. The patient is less likely to suffer a repeat tear.

Next, the OSC physicians makes the necessary drill holes where the replacement tissue will be anchored. Some surgeons prefer to use allograft tissue, which is taken from a deceased donor, rather than the patient’s own tissue, because it means less trauma to the patient and quicker recovery times. Some surgeons prefer to use the patient’s own tissue. After the graft is pulled through the holes that had been drilled, the surgeon will attach the graft and close the incision. The patient is then taken to recovery for a few hours.

Return to ACL Care page.