If your knee continually gives way after an ACL rupture, reconstruction offers the chance of improving the stability of your knee in everyday life and in sporting activities.
If your knee continually gives way after an ACL rupture, reconstruction offers the chance of improving the stability of your knee in everyday life and in sporting activities.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the important ligaments that stabilise your knee.
If you have torn (ruptured) this ligament, the knee can collapse or ‘give way’ when making twisting or turning movements.
An ACL rupture happens as a result of a twisting injury to your knee. The common causes are contact sports and skiing injuries. You can injure other parts of your knee at the same time such as tearing a cartilage or damaging the joint surface.
The physiotherapist can give you exercises to strengthen and improve the co-ordination of the muscles in your thigh. Wearing a knee brace can sometimes help while you are playing sports.
Your surgeon will make one or more cuts around your knee. Most surgeons perform the operation by an arthroscopy (keyhole surgery), using a camera to see inside your knee. Your surgeon will replace the ACL with a piece of suitable tissue from another area of your body. The ends of the replacement ligament are fixed with special screws or anchors into holes drilled in the bone.
The operation usually takes an hour to 90 minutes. Various anaesthetic techniques are possible.
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Sam Rajaratnam talks about Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries and the various treatment options available.
General complications
• Pain
• Bleeding
• Infection of the surgical site (wound)
• Unsightly scarring
• Blood clots
• Difficulty passing urine
Specific complications
• Break of the kneecap
• Damage to nerves around the knee
• Infection in the knee joint
• Discomfort in the front of the knee
• Loss of knee movement
• The knee keeps giving way
• Severe pain, stiffness and loss of use of the knee (complex regional pain syndrome)
This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice that your relevant health professional would give you.
As a private patient at The Horder Centre you can get faster access to the very best orthopaedic consultants.
Autograft Reconstruction of Anterior Cruciate Ligament
| Consultation | Diagnostics | Treatment | Care after discharge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital costs | Included | £350 | £6330 | Included |
| Consultant costs | £220 | Included | Included | Included |
| Estimated total cost | £6900 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated length of stay | 1 night | |||
The prices in the table above (the “Guide Prices”) show what most patients should expect to pay at each appointment and on admission to hospital. The Guide Prices you pay might be different depending on your medical history and the type of implant you choose or your Consultant advises is best for you. Your price quotation will be made clear to you before you proceed with any tests, consultations or treatment.
Horder Healthcare provides the highest quality services to NHS, privately insured and self pay patients, from initial consultation and diagnostic tests right through to surgical treatment and rehabilitation.
We reinvest our profit to benefit more people and help us achieve our aim of advancing health.
