Questions
You can practice contact sports (football, rugby, handball, etc.) from 6 to 9
months after intervention.
(Click here for a rehabilitation protocol after
surgery ACL reconstruction)
· Will there be a scar ? How big ?
Yes: the intervention is performed in arthroscopy, but an incision is necessary to take the graft. The scar from a hamstring graft is shorter and more "aesthetic". A patellar tendon graft scar is approximately 6 to 8 cm. In the case of a double incision technique a small external scar, less than 2 cm, is necessary.
· How many days of hospitalization are likely?
Hospitalization is short: in general from 3 to 5 days, but the operation can alternatively be performed during day-surgery.
· And if I do want an operation on the knee?
We advise surgical procedure for sportsmen with an anterior cruciate ligament injury if they wish to continue sports activities: performing sports activities without ACL can cause meniscal injuries and later lead to cartilage damage (sometimes even to a disabling knee osteoarthritis condition) (details).
For schoolpupils it is necessary to take a break of about fifteen days: for a "manual" worker (mechanic, electrician etc.) it is necessary to stop working for 6 to 9 weeks. For hard physical work (builder, gardener, etc.) 3 months are necessary.
Once the graft has taken well (the osseous blocks consolidate normally 45 days after surgery) you can lead a normal everyday life (climbing stairs, driving a car etc....)
Personal hygiene before and after any intervention in orthopedic surgery is very important: nevertheless, the wound should not be allowed to become wet - by taking a bath for example , because the risk of infection is high if cicatrization is not obtained. Currently there is the possibility of applying tight bandages, which allow one to take a shower without any problem.
Wires fall away within 10-15 days, if they are the resorbable type. If not, they should be removed approximately 14 days after intervention (and you will not have any pain....).