PROJECT PRESENTATION

For our project presentation, we have chosen the common injury ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament).The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle(analogous to the knee), based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury is the most common knee ligament injury, especially in athletes. Lateral rotational movements in sports like these are what cause the ACL to strain or tear. Strains can sometimes be fixed through physical therapy and muscle strengthening, though tears almost always require surgery. The most common method for repairing ACL injuries is arthroscopic surgery. Other common injuries accompanying ACL tears aremeniscus, MCL, and knee cartilage tears.

The symptoms for ACL injury includes swelling, pain, feeling of hearing a 'pop' , loss of range of motion and loss of strength

ACL reconstructive surgery can utilize several different tendons and grafts in place of the torn ACL including the hamstring, patellar tendon, semitendinosus tendon, gracillus tendon, and the plantaris. There is great controversy as to which source produces the strongest, most stable ACL replacement. Many orthopedic surgeons prefer to use tendons and grafts from cadavers; therefore the patient does not have to rehabilitate more than just their ACL. Others prefer to use tendons directly from the patient in order to counteract the potential for an immune system rejection of the cadaver tissue. Furthermore surgeons have the choice between several surgical techniques to fixate the ACL replacement to the femoral bone: staple fixation, tying sutures over buttons, and screw fixation. There are several studies currently testing all the variables involved in ACL reconstructive surgery accounting for the lifestyle, age, and future goals of the ACL reconstruction patients. There are no quantitative results as to which combination of ligament and grafts work best with the different surgical techniques for every individual.