We’ve all heard about the anterior cruciate ligament. Along with the growing popularity of all kinds of sports and the desire to be fit, the number of injuries is increasing, including the number of injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (VKP), which is the most important ligament of the knee joint. There are many mechanisms of damage to the LCI. These can, of course, be massive contact injuries associated with a sprain of the joint, but innocent-looking, non-contact injuries with a rotational component are also common and lead to damage to the FCI. Currently, it is estimated that on average there is one anterior cruciate ligament injury for every 3500 people, which is about 11 new cases in Poland alone !!!
The treatment of choice for damages to the LCI is its reconstruction. American studies estimate the effectiveness of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at 75 to 95%. A successful outcome depends on many factors. Accompanying damage to ligaments or menisci, excessive time from the injury, advanced age of the patient, poor surgical technique, incorrect postoperative physiotherapy, all these factors may make the ligament reconstruction result unsatisfactory. Can this be prevented?
A correct surgical technique that reproduces the reconstructed ligament as anatomically as possible is the first step to success. After the surgery comes the time of rehabilitation. Here, too, the knowledge and experience of specialists is important. Rehabilitation should be adjusted individually to each operated patient, because each of us is different and each transplant will heal in its own way. The best orthopedic clinics monitor the progression of ligament healing by cyclically examining the patient with magnetic resonance imaging (the Carolina Medical Center even does it for free as part of the scientific program). In these studies, the signal / image of the transplant is observed, which varies depending on the degree of its remodeling. Such an individual analysis allows for full individualization of the rehabilitation program, and thus – to obtain the optimal result of the entire treatment.
The anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction procedure is so popular today that it is performed in most orthopedic departments. Before the operation, however, it is worth checking the experience of a given center and doctor in this type of procedure in order to save yourself unnecessary unnecessary problems.