Dr. Wade Faerber Do: Recovering From Acl Injuries

By Author: Jarrett Ransom
Total Articles: 5
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The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a thick band of fibers located in the knee. Together with the other knee ligaments, the ACL provides stability and prevents the knee from bending forward. Unfortunately, the ACL is not as sturdy as its function suggests. According to research by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, roughly 150,000 ACL tears are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

If you suspect that you have torn your ACL, have your knee examined by an experienced orthopedic doctor like the esteemed Dr. Wade Faeber, to assess the severity of the injury. Delaying diagnosis and treatment is not advised because the absence of a working ACL causes the thigh and shin bone to grind against each other, which can lead to osteoarthritis.

More often than not, you will have to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL. Your orthopedic surgeon will graft a small section of tendon from your leg and fashion it as your new ACL. Reconstructive ACL surgery is usually an outpatient procedure.

A few weeks after surgery, you will start physical therapy to strengthen the knee and restore its range of motion. This ...
... stage is the longest part of recovery, taking up to roughly six months. After you complete standard physical therapy, your doctor will examine your knee to see whether you are ready to resume playing sports or need a few more weeks of physical therapy.

Do not engage in strenuous physical activities until you have been cleared to do so by an experienced orthopedic surgeon like Dr. Wade Faeber DO FSOSO. The grafted tendon takes time to regain its hardiness when fashioned as an ACL. Strenuous physical activity during the recovery stage can easily result in another ACL tear.

ACL injuries used to be a career-ending injury. Today, advances in the field of sports medicine has allowed many athletes to return to the game they love better than ever. If you wish to learn more about ACL tears and other knee injuries, please visit OrthoInfo.AAOS.org