You’re watching a soccer game and see a player take a false step. They fall to the ground writhing in agony. Later it is revealed that they have damaged their ACL. Now they need to go through surgery and recovery. What do they have in store? Or what might you have in store for you if you find out you need to undergo ACL reconstruction?
To say that an ACL tear is painful is an understatement. The surgery and recovery can be challenging even for the healthiest of people. Whether you are an athlete or a non-athlete, there are many reasons why you might have torn your ACL. Maybe you are engaging in a sport that you are not properly trained for or your biomechanics are off. Some people genetically have a weaker ACL. Or it just may be that you are prone to certain injuries. Certain professional athletes play all year round, so their ligaments do not get the opportunity to recover from the constant force they are under.
Some athletes damage their ACL because they are focusing on one sport. The human body was not designed to play one sport all year round. When you do, you put a lot of stress on some of the weakest points in your body, which in turn leads to ligament tears.
Your ACL is one of the ligaments in your knees. It’s made up of collagen. This ligament is what allows you to pivot and twist while you’re playing sports, even if you’re moving at very fast speeds. If you’ve damaged your ACL, it’s likely that it happened while you were playing a non-contact sport. You probably tried to turn quickly, and in the pivot, you heard and felt your knee pop.
Determining whether or not you need ACL reconstruction is often a personal choice. One factor that you’re going to need to consider is if you need your ACL to be functioning at its top performance in order for you to carry out your professional activities. For example, if you’re an athlete and play for a sport in which you need to pivot and turn, then you probably need to undergo ACL reconstruction. If you are older and willing to make some minor adjustments to the way that you live your life, then surgery might not be a necessity.
Children can undergo ACL reconstruction as well. This is because if a child does not have a damaged ACL repaired, they may end up having to deal with other health issues down the road.
We provide arthroscopic ACL reconstruction at Angelo Mattalino, MD. As with any procedure, you will need to come in for a consultation beforehand to learn everything you can expect from your surgery. Contact our office in Phoenix to find out if this procedure is right for you.
