ACL Reconstruction

About Surgery

MedStar Orthopaedic Institute is home to fellowship-trained physicians, focused exclusively on caring for conditions affecting the lower extremity. Our surgeons have extensive experience caring for knee conditions, including ACL tears and other injuries to the knee. Our doctors offer the most comprehensive and personalized care possible, ensuring access to anything you may need to promote a full and safe recovery from your ACL injury.

What is ACL reconstruction?

It is common for athletes to injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), which are the tissues that hold your knee together and help it move in different directions. If you tear a ligament or multiple ligaments in your knee, you may need anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, which is used to repair the ACL damage.

Why is reconstruction surgery used?

It is used to address a variety of ligament problems, including knee injuries that affect the:

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
• Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)
• Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)
• Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)

What does ACL reconstruction surgery involve?

The fellowship trained surgeons at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute can treat all types of ligament injuries–from simple problems to the most complex. We take a comprehensive approach to your treatment, addressing your major injury and any other knee problems that may contribute to your discomfort. We address your entire injury using state-of-the-art surgical options and techniques. Our surgeons can perform a range of ligament repair operations, including:

• Autograft – Your surgeon takes healthy muscle and tissue from other areas of your body and uses them to repair or reconstruct your torn ligament.
• Allograft – Your surgeon transplants healthy tissue taken from a muscle tissue bank into your torn ligament.
• Revision – We repair failed ACL/PCL reconstruction procedures performed at other institutions. We carefully evaluate your entire medical history to help identify the cause of failure and try to prevent it in the future.

Our top priority at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute is to get you back to your desired level of activity. We will work with you every step of the way, no matter how challenging it may be.

What does recovery involve?

After surgery, you will likely need several months to fully recover. Your doctor may recommend a combination of bracing, rehabilitation, and physical therapy to help you regain your strength and range of motion. Before your procedure, your doctor will discuss the details of your recovery with you.

What are the benefits?

When you choose to entrust your ACL surgery to our doctors,  the following benefits are our goal:

• Ability to return to athletic activities after recovery
• Knee pain relief
• Restored range of motion
• Improved knee strength

If you believe you may need ACL reconstruction surgery, call 202-295-0511 to schedule a consultation with one of our orthopedic specialists at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute. Our doctors have years of experience treating a wide range of knee conditions and are pleased to offer comprehensive knee care in the Washington, D.C. area.