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Information for Patients

From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

ACL Injury: Should it be Fixed?

ACL Reconstruction

Reconstruccion del Ligamento Cruzado Anterior (ACL Reconstruction)

Save Your Knees!

Revision ACL Reconstruction
by Bernard R. Bach, MD; August D. Mazzocca, MD; Jeff A. Fox, MD; John-Paul H. Rue, MD

The definition of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) failure is symptomatic instability, pain, extensor dysfunction, and arthrofibrosis following a surgical reconstruction. Although this is an oversimplification, and despite many ACL failures falling into one of these categories, there is still no universally accepted definition of unsatisfactory outcome following ACL reconstruction.

This article provides a working definition of revision ACL reconstruction and reviews the pathophysiology, incidence, and clinical presentation for patients who may be considered for a revision procedure. Indications, contradications and treatment options, including graft considerations, bone tunnels, femoral tunnels, and tibial tunnels are reviewed. An indepth presentation of the revision ACL reconstruction procedure is shown. Video is available. CME Credit will be available soon.

Keywords: ACL injury, anterior cruciate ligament injury, ACL tear, knee injury, knee ligament injury, ACL graft failure, anterior cruciate ligament graft failure, causes of graft failure, Lachman test, pivot shift test, anterior drawer test, posterior sag test, posterior drawer test, graft considerations, bone tunnels, femoral tunnels, tibial tunnels

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