This post will be short and sweet. Obviously I’m not a medical doctor but Dr. Gregory DiFelice, based out of New York City and the Hospital for Special Surgery, is. He is also an advocate for ACL repair. 

ACL reconstruction is a very common operation, with an estimated 100K performed annually each year in the United States (we do a pretty good job of keeping orthopedics busy 😊). But out of my anxiety and the Google rabbit hole, I learned that there isn’t always consensus in the medical community, even on “tried and true” procedures like ACL reconstruction, especially as technology and research advance. 

I’ll let Dr. DiFelice explain the details for ACL Repair in the video below. I found his presentation to be incredibly educational and comforting, and he had me at minute 4. It does seem wrong to cut out perfectly good tissue, and even if the repair didn’t work, while not ideal, the repair could be converted into a reconstruction. Lastly, this is only meant to let you know of another surgical option out there. Every injury and person is different, speak with your doctor to assess what’s best for you.

CONCLUSION

1. Skiers are great candidates for repairs due to avulsion tears of the ACL. See story here
2. Additional lecture from Dr. DiFelice on ACL Repair and Preservation here and blog post here