What is an ACL injury?
One of the most common problems involving the knee joint is an ACL tear. The anterior cruciate ligament (also called the ACL) is one of four ligaments that are critical to the stability of the knee joint. A ligament is made of tough fibrous material and functions to control excessive motion by limiting joint mobility. An ACL injury is the most common knee ligament injury of the four mahor ligaments of the knee.

What is the normal function of the ACL?
The anterior cruciate ligament is the primary restraint to forward motion of the tibia or shin bone. The femur or thigh bone is above the tibia and the knee joint allows movement of these bones. The knee joint would be unstable and would easily dislocate, without ligaments stabilizing the flexing of the knee. The ACL is the ligament which prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward.

ACL Reconstruction

Overview
This procedure repairs a damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL connects the front top of the lower leg bone. tibia, to the bottom of the thigh bone, femur.

Step 1
An incision is made over the front of the knee to expose the knee cap and its ligament .

Step 2
A strip from the patella (knee cap), ligament and tibia is removed,. This section called an autograft, will be used as a replacement for the damaged ACL.

Step 3
The incision is closed The rest of the procedure will be performed through small cuts on the sides of the knee.  The surgeon will use a small video camera called an arthroscope to see inside the knee and make sure the new ACL is positioned correctly.