Advanced Orthopaedic Associates serves Wichita, Wellington, and Winfield, KS, and treats knee and sports injuries. Its orthopaedic physicians are board-certified and fellowship-trained, with several specializing in sports medicine and knee surgery.
What Happens During ACL Repair?
ACL repair aims to keep your own ligament intact rather than replace it. The surgeon secures the torn ACL tissue, sometimes with additional support, so the ligament can heal.
Repair is generally considered only for select ACL injuries. It may be an option when the tear occurs near the ligament’s attachment to the thighbone, and the remaining ACL tissue is healthy enough to hold sutures and heal.
How Is ACL Reconstruction Different?
During ACL reconstruction, your surgeon uses a graft to restore the damaged ligament’s function. Graft tissue may come from your own patellar tendon, hamstring tendon, or quadriceps tendon, or in some circumstances from donor tissue.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends reconstruction rather than repair when an ACL tear requires surgery because reconstruction has a lower revision risk. The decision also depends on factors such as your age, activity level, tear pattern, tissue quality, knee stability, and other knee injuries.
| ACL Repair | ACL Reconstruction | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The surgeon preserves the original ACL and secures the torn tissue so it can heal. | The damaged ACL is replaced with a tendon graft. |
| Best suited for | Select tears, particularly acute tears near the ACL’s attachment to the thighbone when the remaining tissue is healthy enough for repair. | A broader range of ACL tears, including midsubstance tears and injuries where the remaining ligament cannot be reliably repaired. |
| Tissue used | The patient’s existing ACL tissue is preserved. | A graft may come from the patient’s patellar, hamstring, or quadriceps tendon or, in some cases, donor tissue. |
| Main advantage | Preserves the natural ligament and avoids harvesting a tendon graft. | Has a longer track record and a lower overall risk of revision surgery. |
| Main limitation | Only appropriate for certain tear patterns and tissue quality, and studies have found a higher overall risk of failure or revision compared with reconstruction. | Requires replacing the damaged ligament and may involve graft-harvest-related discomfort or weakness when the patient’s own tendon is used. |
| How the choice is made | Tear location, tissue quality, timing of the injury, age, activity demands, and other knee injuries are considered. | Tear pattern, knee stability, age, activity goals, graft options, and associated knee injuries help guide treatment. |
Schedule an ACL Injury Evaluation Today
For an ACL injury evaluation with Advanced Orthopaedic Associates, schedule an appointment online or call 316-631-1600 in Wichita, 620-399-1229 in Wellington, or 620-221-2300 in Winfield. The practice’s fellowship-trained specialists can evaluate your knee and discuss the surgical or nonsurgical options that fit your injury.