ACL Graft: Hamstring Autograft

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ACL Graft: Hamstring Autograft

Hamstring autograft is the “4WD SUV of grafts” – It is reliable, it is flexible, it is a workhorse that works great for most people with few exceptions (from taking out the groceries all the way to tennis practice to the marathon).  It isn’t too ‘costly’ with respect to pain or arthritis, but high performance individual, elite athletes and folks exposed routinely to contact sports might be looking for a little more.

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ACL Graft: Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone or "BTB"

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ACL Graft: Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone or "BTB"

For me, the BTB is the “Luxury Sports Car of Grafts” – it’s built for speed and power, it’s sexy, it wins races, but it comes at a potential cost, and it may be more than some people need. I prefer using the BTB graft for my patients who are in the athletic population, unless there are specific patient variables that make me think it is not the best choice or contraindicated. 

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Do I need to have ACL surgery?

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Do I need to have ACL surgery?

Not everyone who has an ACL tear needs to have ACL surgery; so, before signing up for surgery to reconstruct your ACL, think about your activity level, current level of function and comfort, activity goals, etc and decide with your surgeon what the best treatment option is for you and your knee.

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