What is an ACL?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a strong, fibrous band of tissue in your knee that connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shin (tibia). Your ACL stabilizes your knee by preventing the femur from sliding backward on the tibia and preventing the tibia from sliding forward on the femur. Other important ligaments that stabilize your knee are the posterior cruciate, lateral collateral, and medial ligaments.

How did I tear my ACL?

You can easily damage or tear your ACL during sports, running, or simply doing things around the house because these activities put a great deal of stress on your knee. Landing “wrong” after a jump or step or twisting your knee increases your risk for an ACL tear, especially if you’re moving quickly. Many athletes tear their ACL more than once.

What are the symptoms of an ACL tear?

When you first tear your ACL, you may hear a popping noise. Common symptoms of an ACL tear include:

Severe knee pain

Rapid swelling

Inability to continue an activity

Inability to bend or flex your knee

Knee can’t bear weight

Knee “gives way”

If you’ve injured your ACL or have knee pain, contact Dr. Woodson right away for diagnosis and treatment. He x-rays your knee, conducts an examination, and evaluates your range of motion and evaluates an MRI to determine whether your ACL is sprained or completely torn.

When do I need ACL reconstruction?

About 350,000 athletes and non-athletes undergo ACL reconstruction each year. If your ACL is sprained (stretched but not completely torn), Dr. Woodson recommends rest and physical therapy. However, if your ACL is badly torn or ripped in half, he recommends ACL reconstruction.

How do orthopedic surgeons reconstruct the ACL?

Dr. Woodson is widely known as an expert in ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation. Whenever possible, he uses minimally invasive arthroscopic or robotic surgery to repair an ACL.

Using small incisions and precise miniature tools, Dr. Woodson removes the damaged ACL. He then takes a graft from another knee ligament and uses it to replace the ACL. He may add platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy to accelerate healing.

After stitching the new ACL in place, he closes the graft incision. He gives you aftercare instructions and crutches to help you stay mobile during your recovery. He also helps you rehabilitate your knee and prevent future injuries through physical therapy exercises.

Dr. Woodson now also specializes in treatment with the new BEAR implant to enable a patient’s own body to heal it’s own ACL injury.

To end ACL pain and get back in the game, contact Dr. Woodson’s helpful staff by phone.