What Is ACL Reconstruction Done With?

The replacement ligament is usually made from the patient’s own tendon, called an autograft, or donated human tendon, called an allograft. Options include a hamstring autograft, bone-patellar tendon-bone graft, or quadriceps tendon graft. The choice depends on age, activity, knee anatomy, previous surgery, and surgeon assessment. The graft is passed through bone tunnels and held in place with fixation such as a bioabsorbable screw. An arthroscope lets the surgeon view the joint through small incisions.

Before surgery, discuss graft choices, rehabilitation expectations, medication instructions, and arrangements for getting home. Afterward, follow the prescribed exercises and weight-bearing plan. Early rehabilitation commonly focuses on controlling swelling, regaining knee extension, activating the thigh muscles, and gradually rebuilding strength and balance. Returning to cutting or pivoting sports requires staged testing rather than a calendar date alone.

Contact the care team promptly for fever, increasing redness or drainage from an incision, sudden calf pain or swelling, chest pain, breathing difficulty, uncontrolled pain, or a new cold, pale, numb, or weak foot. A fall, forceful twist, or sudden loss of knee stability during recovery also deserves advice.

Ask which graft suits your goals, where the graft will come from, how it will be fixed, and what restrictions apply to driving, work, walking, and sport. Ask how progress will be measured during rehabilitation.