CRUCIATE LIGAMENT SURGERY

Replacing the anterior cruciate ligament entirely by arthroscopy puts far less strain on the knee joint than an open procedure. There is considerably less knee pain after cruciate ligament surgery and rehabilitation can begin very early. What decides the success of the operation is placing the bone tunnels precisely at the attachment points of the original cruciate ligament. Using accurate guides, these tunnels can be drilled exactly, under arthroscopic control. To give it sufficient tensile strength, the tendon is folded three or four times.

The replacement tendon is first drawn into the knee joint through the tunnel in the upper tibia and then fixed in the tunnel in the thigh bone with two absorbable pins (cross-pin fixation). The alternative fixation with a small titanium plate on the toggle-anchor principle has likewise proved reliable.

To fix the tendon at the upper tibia we use a small titanium button. This new method of fixation allows very stable anchorage and ensures that the tendon heals in without difficulty. Later removal of the metal is usually unnecessary. Accompanying damage to the meniscus or the cartilage can be treated at the same time.