Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Surgery - Medical Animation
This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Surgery - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four main ligaments connecting the femur to the tibia. The ACL provides stability as you move your knee. A torn ACL may occur if your a knee joint over-rotates, or if you receive a direct blow to the front of your knee. If your ACL tears through completely, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair it. Before your procedure, you will receive either spinal anesthesia, which will numb your body from the chest down, or general anesthesia, which will put you to sleep for the duration of the procedure. During this arthroscopic procedure, your surgeon will make a few incisions around your knee, through which he or she will insert surgical instruments including a camera. The camera will transmit images to a TV monitor, which the surgeon will view during the procedure. First, your surgeon will remove the remaining portions of your torn ACL from your knee. Then, your surgeon will remove part of your patellar tendon to use as the graft, or obtain donor tissue. Your surgeon will create attachment points for the graft by drilling a small tunnel in the end of your tibia, then another at the end of your femur. Your surgeon will place one end of the patellar tendon graft in the tibial tunnel. Then, he or she will pull the graft up through the knee joint and into the femoral tunnel to create a new ACL tendon. Finally, your surgeon will place small screws in the tunnels at either end of the new ACL to hold it in place. Over the next six to eight weeks, bone growth will fill in these tunnels, further stabilizing the graft. At the end of the procedure, your doctor will remove the instruments and close the incisions. This procedure typically lasts two to two and 1/2 hours. After the procedure, you will go to the recovery room for two to three hours, and then go home. You will likely need a knee brace and crutches for one to four weeks. Supervised physical therapy should begin two or three days after surgery, and continue for 6 to 10 weeks. After this time, continue with self-directed therapy as long as needed. It takes about nine months for a reconstructed ACL to fully heal. You should avoid contact sports, racquet sports and other sports that require rapid direction changes until you obtain approval from your physician.
"Our practice involves medical negligence cases exclusively. We have six
attorneys and one physician on staff. We have used Medical Legal Art's
staff for every one of our cases over the past 12 years and have found their
services to be extraordinary. The transformation of medical records into
powerful graphic images has without fail been handled expertly,
expeditiously and effectively translating into superb results for our
clients, both in the courtroom and in settlement. Every case can benefit
from their excellent work and we unqualifiedly recommend their services.
They are the best!"
Chris Otorowski
Morrow and Otorowski
Bainbridge Island, Washington
www.medilaw.com
"[I] have come to rely upon the Doe Report and your great staff of
illustrators for all my medical malpractice cases. … Please know
that I enthusiastically recommend you to all my colleagues.
Frank Rothermel
Bernhardt & Rothermel
"There is nothing like a great graphic depicting the real nature and
extent of a victim's injuries to get full value for your client. I use
Medical Legal Art for mediations as well as trial."
Geoff Wells
Greene, Broillet, Panish & Wheeler
Santa Monica, CA
"Thank you very much for the great work on the medical exhibits. Our trial
resulted in a $16 million verdict for a 9 year old boy with catastrophic
injuries, and the medical illustrations definitely played key role in the
trial."
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.