Surgery for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries involves reconstructing or repairing the ACL. The goal of an ACL surgery is to restore normal or almost normal stability in the knee and the level of function you had before the knee injury.

What is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery?

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL reconstruction) is a surgical tissue graft replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament, located in the knee, to restore its function after an injury.

What is an ACL injury?

An ACL injury is one of the most common ligament injuries in the body. An ACL injury occurs due to the twisting of the knee, suddenly and in the opposite direction of the thigh.

What are the symptoms of a typical ACL injury?

A typical ACL injury causes pain and buckling of the knee. The acute pain subsides for 2-3 days, after which, patients are left with the knee instability of varying degree. This non symptomatic injury, often makes patients have a false sense of complete recovery. But on repeat injury the instability becomes aggravated.

What are the causes of a typical ACL injury?

A few of the common causes of an ACL injury are listed below:
Suddenly slowing down and swiftly changing direction
Pivoting your foot in one place
Landing from a high jump incorrectly
Receiving a direct blow to the knee

Who are the commonly affected people?

Active young adults, athletes and two-wheeler drivers are the commonly affected individuals. But it can happen to anyone who is up and about. Getting off a moving bus for example, could lead to a twisted knee.

Do I Need This Surgery?

At Zoi Hospitals, ACL reconstruction is generally recommended by expert orthopaedic surgeons if:
1. You’re an athlete and want to continue in your sport, especially if the sport involves jumping, running or pivoting
2. More than one ligament in your knee is injured
3. The injury is causing hindrance to your everyday activities or is affecting your confidence to go back to the kind of lifestyle you want or had.
4. You’re young and can recover quickly

Treatment for ACL injury:

The treatment for an ACL injury is done by either repairing the torn ligament or reconstructing the deficient ligament. This is done by taking a graft from the hamstring tendons, patella or IT band on the outer side of the thigh.

‘Keyhole surgery’ is a short process which is performed by an orthopaedic surgeon. It is minimally invasive and done through sub cm incisions. Patients are made to walk on the same or next day of the procedure and most of them get back to work in two weeks. The time taken to start playing sports or squatting varies from 3-5 months, based on the patient’s rehabilitation program and fitness levels.

Cost and benefits of ACL surgery at ZOI:

Zoi has a team of two arthroscopy surgeons and three rehabilitation specialists who work together to customize the surgery and rehabilitation program to suit the individual.

At Zoi, the most common variety of ACL reconstruction is via the ‘All in Technique’. This technique has the benefit of minimizing the amount of graft harvested from the patient’s body, which helps in reducing tissue disturbance and in improving postoperative recovery.

Traditional ACL reconstruction entails sacrificing two of the hamstring tendons, whereas, with the ‘All in Technique’, the same results are achieved with one tendon only.

Zoi has the largest series of ‘All in Technique’ ACL reconstruction surgery in South India. The surgeons frequently demonstrate this technique to other arthroscopic surgeons at other locations. At Zoi Orthopaedic Hospitals, Hyderabad, we are committed to facilitating the best course of treatment for all patients. The cost at Zoi, Hyderabad, for this surgery is between 1-1.5 lakhs.

What are some simple exercises to practice for a quick recovery from ACL surgery?

In an ACL injury, the ligament in the middle of the knee which prevents the shin bone from sliding out near the thigh bone is partially or completely torn. This injury affects the stability of your knee, resulting in reduced knee strength and decreased motion.
According to expert orthopaedic surgeons of Zoi Hospitals, Hyderabad, after an ACL reconstruction surgery, physical rehabilitation will help you reap the full benefits of the surgery.

– Here are a few simple exercises to speed up the recovery process.

Ankle Pumps:

Lie flat on your back with your knees straight. Bend the ankle up and down as far as possible in both directions. Repeat with the other leg.

Heel Slides:

Lie flat on your back with your knees straight. Slowly slide your heel in toward your buttocks. Straighten back to starting position. Please keep your foot on the surface at all times. Repeat with the other leg.

Straight Leg Raise:

Lie flat on your back with your uninvolved leg bent and feet flat on the surface. Tighten your thigh and lift your involved leg. Keep your knees straight. Repeat with the other leg.

Side Lying Abduction:

Lie flat on your uninvolved side. Bend your uninvolved leg forward. Raise involved leg about five inches and then lower to starting position. Do not allow your toes or knee to turn upward. Repeat with the other leg.

Knee Press:

With your legs straight and a towel rolled up under your ankle, press your knee down for contracting your thigh muscles. Hold for 5 seconds and then relax. Repeat with the other leg.

Regular practice of the above-mentioned exercises will help anyone post an ACL operation recover faster and better. Also, a regular check-up now and then with the orthopaedic specialists at an orthopaedic hospital in Hyderabad, post surgery will help the doctor analyze the patients’ situation and heal suitably in a short time.

Read more about how to recover from an ACL surgery.