According to many orthopedic surgeons, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is not necessarily an indication to perform a reconstruction operation. The results of a research study of 218 patients with a follow-up of two to ten years with an average of 4.5 years from the date of arthroscopic surgical verification of the ligament being torn, indicated that of those who did without the surgery, 86% had satisfactory results, and only 53% had satisfactory results after having surgery at other orthopedic centers. (Recent literature has indicated a satisfactory result of 50% to 95%.) Patients, not undergoing surgery, are placed on muscle strengthening exercises. A custom made de-rotation brace for sporting activities, is usually prescribed by the doctor. In one study, approximately 3 % (three percent) of patients required the reconstruction surgery because their knees were significantly unstable. According to many orthopedic surgeons, significant instability is the reason to perform the reconstruction surgery. Pain may be due to other problems inside the knee, and reconstruction of the ligament may not help relieve the pain, unless the other problems are addressed during the surgery. The arthritis and/or degeneration of the cartilage started when the knee was severely injured. Performing surgery to establish a new ligament will not prevent the post traumatic arthritis. The surgery may cause chronic pain in areas where pain presently does not exist. The surgery is a very major one, and should not be thought of lightly. If, after talking to an orthopedic surgeon one decides to have the surgery performed, the surgeon should give one the choice of using a graft from a cadaver, or a graft from one's own tissue (hamstring or patella tendon).

With the use of a cadaver graft the published reports indicate that there is somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000,000 to one chance of contracting HIV. The patient should sit down and talk to the surgeon about all the pros and cons of surgery with one's own tissue (hamstring or patella tendons) or with cadaver tissue. If the surgeon will not, or cannot, give the time to discuss all of the factors, that is a sign to find another knee surgeon.

To find an Orthopedic surgeon, or an arthroscopic surgeon in your city or area, please search http://www.aaos.org and or http://www.aana.org .. When you get the web page, look for the membership and then follow directions. You can search for doctors in every state, and most countries without knowing their names.

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