Before surgery to repair your injured ACL, your UPMC Sports Medicine knee surgeon will design a complete plan based on:
Your surgeon will also discuss the recovery time after ACL surgery, so you fully understand your rehab plan.
Before having ACL reconstruction surgery, your doctor may order tests to help assess the level of your injury.
These tests may include x-rays and MRI scans to take precise measurements of the bones and structures of the knee.
Your test results help your surgeon:
The timing of having these tests will depend on a few factors, such as swelling in your knee. Swelling may need to go down so your doctor can get a clearer picture of the injury and nearby areas.
Before surgery, doctors often prescribe physical therapy — “prehabilitation” — to help:
Rehab activities depend on the aspects of your ACL injury.
At the UPMC Sports Medicine ACL Program, we counsel people who need help with their nutrition needs before having surgery.
We may suggest that you:
To repair a torn or ruptured ACL, your surgeon will discuss graft options with you:
Your knee surgeon chooses a graft that will give you with the strongest possible tissue, so you can:
An autograft most often comes from either your:
The decision on where the graft will come from has many factors, including:
People who aren't a good fit for an autograft can have an allograft — a graft from a donor.
Your knee surgeon will discuss the best options for you based on your:
Before surgery, your doctor will discuss your rehab plan.
This plan is flexible. We can or will adjust it over time as you progress through the recovery period.
Rehab is crucial after surgery to:
Contact the UPMC Sports Medicine ACL Program today to learn more or make an appointment.
From Our Health Library: