Knee Arthroscopy

see knee anatomy

The ACL avoids abnormal anterior transalation between the tibia and femur. This prevents damage to the cartilage and meniscus.

The ACL can get torn usually following sports or after Road traffic accidents etc.. This leads to instability and a sense of buckling

Unfortunately no,ACL does not heal with medicines

The torn ACL can be reconstructed by arthroscopy with hamstrings or bone patellar-tendon-bone graft (add scar image too) and the patient can start walking the next day itself.

1-3 days(patients prefer weekend surgery)

Rarely yes. If it is an ACL avulsion injury with a small bone piece, it is treated as a fracture and the native ACL can be reattached

No. Besides white-collar job professionals return to work the same week

Two small stitches are only needed. Hence scars are small and cosmetically appealing. In males, the presence of hair, obscures the scar completely. For hamstrings graft harvesting, another separate incision of around an inch size is needed.

The patient can go back to work in 3-10 days itself once they are comfortable (deskjobs and IT professionals). In case of meniscal repairs, the patient can go back to work with some restrictions in day-to-day activities.

Patients usually start driving cars at around 6-8 weeks based on their comfort and also recovery.

Spinal anaesthesia or short general anaesthesia is sufficient usually.

Definetely yes. Surgery is only half the battle. Adequate exercising with preplanned protocols under the guidance of your surgeon and physiotherapist is mandatory and ensures good successful results. A brace maybe needed for some time to protect the reconstructed ligament.

I meniscal repair has been performed, you may need crutches for some time.

Patient can usually return to sports in 12 weeks