An anterior cruciate ligament injury is a common sports injury. It happens when you twist your knee or land wrong from a high jump. You might have this injury from playing basketball, being tackled in football, or snow skiing. You can also sprain your ACL when you're not playing sports if you twist your knee or change positions without shifting your feet. ACL injuries can affect young people as well as the elderly. One treatment option is surgery. Here are five things to know.

1. Surgery Is Often The Best Option For Athletes

If you're an athlete, your orthopedic physician may be more inclined to recommend surgery than if you're older and sedentary. If you're sedentary and don't stress your knee by playing sports, then you may not need surgery to rebuild the ligament for knee support. Also, if you have a mild ligament sprain, it may heal on its own with rest. When you're an athlete and you need a stable knee for sports movements, then surgery could be the best option.

2. ACL Surgery Is Usually An Outpatient Procedure

While you will probably receive general anesthesia for the procedure, your orthopedic surgeon may provide the surgery in an outpatient surgical center. As long as your recovery goes well after the surgery, you'll go home the same day. Because you receive anesthesia and you'll be on pain medications, you'll need help to get home and may need someone to stay with you the first night after surgery.

3. Rebuilding The ACL Requires A Graft

Orthopedic surgeons usually rely on grafts to rebuild the ligament rather than stitch the ligament back together. The graft might come from an organ donor, but it might also come from another place on your leg. Instead of a ligament, the graft is a tendon.

The surgeon attaches the tendon to the bones above and below your knee to help stabilize your knee in the same way the anterior cruciate ligament normally would. Over the coming months, your ACL then rebuilds itself over the donor tendon. This surgery can be done laparoscopically so the incisions are smaller and recovery is quicker.

4. You'll Need Crutches After The Surgery

You'll go home from the surgery clinic with crutches so you can walk without putting weight on your knee. Your doctor will let you know how long you have to use the crutches, and you'll want to follow your orthopedic physician's instructions so your knee heals properly. You may need to keep your knee elevated and use ice packs to control swelling.

5. Physical Therapy Is Important For Recovery

When you have an ACL injury, your knee may be stiff and swollen. Your orthopedic doctor might want you to have physical therapy before you have surgery so stiffness is reduced. You'll probably have physical therapy after surgery too so you can regain strength and range of motion in your knee. Physical therapy helps your knee heal properly through stretching and strengthening movements.

For more information, reach out to a local orthopedic physician.