ACL Tears

Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) keeps your shinbone in place and stabilizes your knee. If your knee collides with someone or something, or you suddenly pivot and twist your knee, you may injure this ligament. To ease your pain and recover the greatest possible use of your joint, choose Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. You’ll get advanced treatment—including an innovative ACL reconstruction technique you’ll find nowhere else in Wisconsin.

ACL Tear Symptoms

If you tear your ACL, you may experience symptoms such as:

• A popping noise at the moment of injury
• A feeling that your knee shifted and could give way
• Pain and swelling

To diagnose an ACL tear, your knee specialist at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital may check for unusual forward movement of your shinbone and perform physical exams to determine your knee’s stability. Your doctor also may order an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the extent of damage to your leg.

Conservative Treatment for ACL Tear

After an ACL injury, your physician may advise you to follow nonsurgical treatment measures such as:

• Elevating your knee and applying ice to your joint to reduce pain and swelling
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers
• Wearing a supportive elastic bandage around your knee
• Participating in knee therapy and rehabilitation to regain strength and functioning

Sophisticated ACL Reconstruction

If surgery is your best treatment option, your knee specialist may recommend anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction—an innovative technique that makes your ligament as normal and healthy as possible. Brian McCarty, MD, of Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, was one of the first surgeons in the country to perform this minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgery. You’ll enjoy a fuller, quicker, longer-term recovery from an ACL injury when you get double-bundle ACL reconstruction, available in Wisconsin only at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital.

Fostering Your Recovery After Surgery

You’ll likely return home the day of your ACL reconstructive procedure. As you recover, you’ll wear a knee brace to stabilize your joint, and use crutches to keep pressure off your knee. We’ll advise you about medications to control your pain. You’ll also benefit from knee therapy and rehabilitation that helps restore your knee’s strength and range of motion following surgery.

You may be able to get back to light activities a few days after your procedure and return to sports in four to six months. We’ll partner with you on each step of your journey through rehabilitation, so you get encouragement, support and answers to your questions.