ACL INJURIES
Experts in ACL Treatments
The Role of the ACL
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. The ACL is a primary stabilizer of the knee and serves many important functions. It provides stability of the knee in both the front-to-back direction as well as to rotational forces. The ACL also has important nerve fibers within the ligament that help the brain know the position of the knee in space and allows us to perform multiple complex maneuvers during athletic activity. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is among the most common orthopedic injuries.
About half of all injuries to the ACL have additional injuries to other structures in the knee, such as articular cartilage meniscus, or other ligaments. The anterolateral ligament (ALL) is another stabilizer of the knee located on the outside part of the knee, contributing significantly to rotational instability. The ALL is also often injured along with the ACL with damage to the ALL occurring in up to 90% of ACL injuries.
ACL Reconstruction
While treatment for an ACL tear will vary by the patient’s individual needs, a torn ACL will not heal without surgery. For those returning to sport, the ACL can be addressed surgically through either direct repair (some cases) or most commonly through reconstruction. Our goal at Sano Orthopedics is to individualize our treatment plan through evidence-based medicine to maximize your chance to return to function and minimize your chance to sustain a re-injury.
We perform a variety of different techniques for ACL reconstruction at Sano Orthopedics, including ACL Repair, ACL Reconstruction, “Biologic” ACL Reconstruction, combined ACL/ALL reconstruction. For reconstructions, our surgeons primarily use the hamstring tendon, the patella tendon or the quadriceps tendon as a graft.
Surgery to rebuild an ACL is done with an arthroscope using small incisions and is performed on an outpatient basis.
Learn More about ACL Injuries
Why Choose Sano?
The field of sports medicine has evolved to include a greater focus on injury prevention, research-based outcomes, and regenerative medicine. The Board-Certified & Fellowship-Trained Experts at Sano are at the forefront of modern advancements and technologies in treating sports-related injuries. Dr. Kevin Witte, Dr. Matt Cullen, Dr. Matt Daggett, Dr. Chris Eckland, and Dr. Michael Dempewolf are returning Kansas City athletes back to their sport using the latest techniques. With fellowships in sports medicine, over 60 research articles published in the past 5 years, and presentations on injury prevention, our surgeons are leading the way in orthopedic sports medicine.
Dr. Matthew Daggett
Dr. Daggett is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. He’s passionate about injury prevention and using the latest technique innovations to return players to their sport as quickly and safely as possible. He has been leading international research on ACL reconstruction and ACL repair.
Dr. Michael Dempewolf
Dr. Michael Dempewolf is a fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. He makes his passion for treating athletes local: he’s the sports medicine physician for the Johnson County Community College, Kansas City Monarchs Baseball Club, and the Kansas City Blues Rugby organizations.
Dr. Kevin Witte
Dr. Witte is a fellowship trained and board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. His passion for the throwing and overhead athlete is why he went into orthopedics.
Dr. Matt Cullen
Dr.Cullen is a sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in athletic injuries. His interest in orthopedics is focused on treating athletes of all ages and skill levels.
Dr. Chris Eckland
Dr. Eckland is a board-certified, sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in athletic injuries. He focuses on treating athletes of all ages and skill levels. “In orthopedics, we do not often save lives, we save lifestyles.”