Allograft Reconstruction of ACL-Deficient Knee

The goals of surgical treatment for ACL injuries are to: 

• Restore normal or almost normal stability in the knee. 
• Restore the level of function you had before the knee injury.
• Limit loss of function in the knee.

The complications of allograft reconstruction include:

• Disease transmission
• Immune response to the implanted grafts
• High failure rates
• Donor site complications
• Infections

The physician identifies the potential donor. The donor needs to undergo physical examinations as well as blood tests to rule out any underlying conditions. Tissues or grafts can be taken from the donor site in sterilized conditions. 

Next, the physician sterilizes the issue by soaking the tissue in an antibiotic solution and freeze-dries it for preservation.

The freeze-dried tissue is thawed, which then undergoes the following steps:

• Revascularization: Restoration of blood supply
• Cell repopulation: Increase in the number of cells
• Remodelling: Changing the structure of the grafts to match the recipient’s ACL

Once the remodelling is complete, the grafts appear similar to the recipient’s ACL. The remodelled graft is used to repair the ACL-deficient knee.

Recovery from an ACL injury can take months, and it may be more than 7 months before a person can play sports again. A person who has had an ACL injury faces a greater risk of knee injuries in the future. It may help to take precautions and speak to a physical therapist about ways to reduce this risk.