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.

Fortunately, damaged ligaments can be replaced. ACL reconstructive surgery replaces your old anterior cruciate ligament with a new one. This new ligament could come from you (autograft) or from a cadaver (allograft).

If you use an autograft, it will probably be taken from the front of your knee. This is called the patellar tendon. It may also come from your hamstring.

Both of these kinds of grafts have a good success rate, and there are things to recommend each. Discuss the pros and cons with your surgeon to make the best choice for you.

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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.

There will be a few other incisions in addition to the poke-hole. First, if you are using your own tissue, an incision will need to be made to remove it. This is rather a larger incision. Then a few smaller incisions will be made to access and remove your damaged tissue. Your new tissue will be inserted via bone tunnels. It will be placed perfectly and secured with screws or a variety of surgical fasteners as appropriate.

When your surgery is finished, your incisions will be closed, and a bandage will be put on. When you wake up from your anesthesia, you will probably be able to see pictures and the video of your surgery. Your surgeon will discuss the procedure with you and answer your questions.