Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction

A normal anterior cruciate ligament

An arthroscopic picture of a torn anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most important of four strong ligaments connecting the bones of the knee joint. It can be ruptured in twisting injuries of the knee.

Ligaments are strong, dense structures made of connective tissue that stabilize a joint. They connect bone to bone across the joint. The function of the ACL is to provide stability to the knee and minimize stress across the knee joint.

ACL tears in active patients frequently require surgery. Successful repairs are done using a substitute lgament.

Often, but not always, depending on a person's activity level, a torn ACL needs to be fixed. Unfortunately a simple repair by suturing the torn ligament together again is not effective. A successful repair involves completely replacing the torn ligaments, and there are a number ways that this can be done.

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