The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is located in the knee. When it is torn, it can be extremely painful. The treatment for this sort of injury is reconstructive surgery. This procedure replaces your torn or damaged tissue with new tissue.

Autograft is the term used to describe a graft that is taken from your body. An autograft is usually taken from part of the tendon that is located on the front of your knee. This is called the patellar tendon. Another place an autograft may be taken is the hamstring.

Allograft is another type of graft. This tissue is harvested from a cadaver.

There are good and bad points about each choice. Your surgeon will talk with you about the options and help you decide which would work best in your situation.

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Reconstruction surgery is normally performed with the use of an arthroscope. To perform knee arthroscopy, your surgeon will create a small poke-hole in your knee and insert a tiny camera. This camera is connected to a video monitor and allows your surgeon to see the inside of your knee.

While your surgeon is looking, he or she will check for damage to other tissues. If the cartilage or ligament in your knee has been otherwise damaged, that problem will also be attended to during your procedure.

Several types of anesthesia are used for arthroscopic knee surgery, but you will probably receive general anesthetic. This will allow you to sleep during the surgery. While you are sleeping, your surgeon will replace your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

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Your surgeon will also make a few other small incisions around the knee. These will allow the surgeon to place your new ligament properly. Your damaged ligament will be taken out with a shaver or some other instrument. The exception to this is that, if you will be using an autograft, a larger incision will be needed to remove the tissue that is to be used for grafting.

Your new ligament will be put into place using bone tunnels which will allow the surgeon to place the new ligament in exactly the same location as the old ligament. Once in place, the ligament will be secured with screws or some other type of fastener to prevent it from moving. When your surgery is done, your incisions will be closed, and your knee will be bandaged.

Your surgeon will probably take photos and/or film your operation so that you can watch it on the video monitor after your surgery is done. This technique allows the surgeon to discuss findings with you in detail.

To be considered for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction, some symptoms you might be experiencing include, knees that give way, weakness and instability in the knees, and knee pain. If your ADL (activities of daily living) are affected and/or you are not able to participate in sports as you wish, these are further reasons to consider ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction.

Of course, there are risks with any surgical procedure. Risks for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery include possible nerve damage, infection and excessive bleeding. Some patients experience knee stiffness, knee pain, and weakness in the knees. Additionally, there are times when the ligament fails to heal or the surgery does not alleviate the symptoms.

Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson, Vancouver ACL Surgery and Vancouver Athletic Injuries.

Physicians see more rotator cuff injuries than almost any other musculoskeletal injury. A patient with a rotator cuff injury will experience pain and weakness in the shoulder, but not swelling. Sometimes the patient does not have symptoms. Usually, though, the patient will have increased weakness and pain when active. This is especially true when raising the arm higher than shoulder level. Fortunately, there are quite a few treatments available for rotator cuff injury. The type of treatment that is suitable would depend upon the patient’s age and the type of injury experienced.

Rotator cuff injuries occur in two ways. You could either have rotator cuff tendonitis or a rotator cuff tear. It is important to realize that there are a few other conditions that can cause the type of pain one experiences with a rotator cuff injury. For an accurate diagnosis, you will need to see your physician. The first step your physician will take is a physical examination. Following the examination, your doctor may inject your injured shoulder with a local anesthetic. This process will help your doctor in determining exactly what kind of injury you have. If your doctor decides that you have a rotator cuff tear, he or she may send you for some imaging tests. Imaging tests will help pinpoint the location of the injury and confirm whether or not the injury is a tear.

Rotator cuff tendonitis is more common than rotator cuff tear, but the treatment is similar for both. Rest, ice, compression and elevation, also known as RICE therapy, is prescribed for both conditions. Your doctor may also tell you to take an over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen. You may also be referred to a physical therapist who will help you to understand how to modify your activities to avoid pain and may also give you instructions on exercises to help strengthen your shoulder. If these measures dont help, your doctor may give you a shot of a steroid/anesthetic mix. This injection will be made directly into the joint to help address your pain.

Of the patients who use this non-surgical intervention, about half report having a decrease of pain and an increase in range-of-motion within six weeks to three months. Aside from efficacy, there are a number of advantages to non-invasive therapy. Surgical risks such as permanent stiffness, anesthesia complications, and infection can be completely avoided. With non-invasive therapy, there is no down-time for recovery. On the other hand, use of non-invasive techniques may cause an increase in the size of the tear. While there is not a recovery period, there may be a time period when the patient is able to do less. Of course there is also the chance that the non-invasive technique simply will not work. In this case, your doctor may recommend surgery. Your doctor may also recommend surgery if your injury is so severe that he or she feels a non-invasive approach would not be effective.

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There are three ways to treat a rotator cuff injury surgically:

1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.

2. Mini-open repair surgery: This method is like open repair surgery, but it also utilizes arthroscopy. The advantages of this method are that it is an outpatient procedure that leaves a smaller scar.

All-arthroscopic surgery is the least invasive surgery. It is an outpatient procedure that leaves a very small scar.

After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.

Happily, rotator cuff surgery is a highly successful surgical procedure. Eighty to ninety-five percent of patients who have this type of surgery report successful results, improved range-of-motion and a significant decrease in pain in six months or less.

The success of your recovery is dependent on a number of factors. Among them are, your surgeons level of expertise, your fitness level, the severity of your injury, and your compliance with your doctors instructions.

Complications resulting from rotator cuff surgery are quite rare. The most commonly experienced complication is tendon re-tear. This is only experienced by about six percent of patients. Nerve injury may be experienced by one to two percent of patients. Infection may be a problem for one percent of patients. Fewer than one percent complain of stiffness. Less than one percent may have problems with deltoid muscle detachment.

Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson, Labral Surgery in Oregon and Tigard Labral Repair.

The bones of joints are held together by ligaments. You will find the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) at the center of your knee. Its purpose is to keep your shin bone from shifting forward on your thigh bone.

A torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) can cause your knee to collapse during strenuous activity. Not only is this immediately dangerous, it can lead to repeated collapse, causing cartilage damage and arthritis.

ACL Reconstruction can resolve these problems. With this surgery, your damaged ligament can be replaced with new ligament. This ligament may come from a deceased donor (allograft) or from you (autograft).

An autograft is usually taken from the hamstring or the patellar tendon (front of the knee) of the patient.

There are pros and cons to both types of grafts; however, both are usually successful for most people. Talk with your surgeon to find out more.

Click here for more on ACL injury .

ACL Reconstruction is usually done under general anesthesia using arthroscopy.

When arthroscopy is used, your surgeon will have a clear view of the inside of your knee. He or she will make one small incision to insert a tiny camera into the knee chamber. This camera will send a picture of the interior structure of the knee to a video monitor. In this way, your surgeon can see and repair any problems in the knee at the same time that he or she attends to your ACL damage.

In addition to the poke-hole made to insert the camera, you will have a few other incisions. If you are using an autograft, there will be one larger incision made to access the tissue. A few smaller incisions will be made around your knee to access the damaged ligament and replace it with new ligament. Bone tunnels will be created to place the new ligament perfectly, and it will then be fastened in place with screws or other appropriate fasteners.

When your surgery is done and your incisions have been closed, your knee will be bandaged, and you will be given time to recover from your anesthesia. At this time, you may be able to see the video of your surgery and confer with your surgeon on his or her findings and any concerns or questions you may have in mind.

Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson, ACL Surgery in Tigard and Tigard Knee Injuries.

The bones of joints are held together by ligaments. You will find the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) at the center of your knee. Its purpose is to keep your shin bone from shifting forward on your thigh bone.

If your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is torn, your knee might give out when you are physically active. This is a danger in itself. If it happens too often, your cartilage will be damaged, and you will experience early arthritis.

ACL Reconstruction can resolve these problems. With this surgery, your damaged ligament can be replaced with new ligament. This ligament may come from a deceased donor (allograft) or from you (autograft).

If you decide to use an autograft, the tissue will probably come from your hamstring or the front of your knee (your patellar tendon).

There are pros and cons to both types of grafts; however, both are usually successful for most people. Talk with your surgeon to find out more.

Click here for more on ACL tear surgery.

ACL Reconstruction is usually done under general anesthesia using arthroscopy.

Arthroscopy allows your surgeon to see the interior of your knee via a tiny camera inserted through a poke-hole. This allows your surgeon to see, not only the torn ACL , but also any other problems you may be having with your knee. These problems can be addressed during your ACL reconstruction.

If you are using an autograft, there will be one large incision (also called an open incision) made to remove this tissue. Additionally, your surgeon will access the areas to be worked on via several small incisions around the knee. These will be used to place your new ligament. Your old ligament will be removed, then the surgeon will make bone tunnels to place the new ligament in the same position as the old one. The new ligament will be secured with surgical fasteners such as screws.

When your surgery is done and your incisions have been closed, your knee will be bandaged, and you will be given time to recover from your anesthesia. At this time, you may be able to see the video of your surgery and confer with your surgeon on his or her findings and any concerns or questions you may have in mind.