ACL Tears
ACL tears are classified into three grades: Grade 1, a mild sprain with minimal instability; Grade 2, a partial tear causing noticeable instability; and Grade 3, a complete tear resulting in significant instability, often requiring surgery. Let’s examine the potential causes and manifestations of ACL tears, and the treatment alternatives available to patients experiencing this condition.
Subscribe to the BlogThe Serious Long-Term Effects of ACL Reconstruction Surgery
On this page: Long-term effects of ACL reconstruction surgery Nerve interaction with ligaments like the ACL Research on the ACL and the gamma loop We tend to take for granted that our bodies are finely tuned machines and complex neural circuitry allows them to do the amazing things we’re designed to do. A 2011 study…read more
Can a Ligament Grow Back? Getting an Athlete’s ACL to Heal
On this page: What is the ACL and can it grow back? Can ACL tears be treated without surgery? An athlete’s ACL story We began treating ACL tears using x-ray guidance and high-dose bone marrow concentrate back in 2011 before anyone else was performing that procedure and frankly before anyone else was doing much of…read more
Is ACL Surgery a Second Hit to the Joint Cartilage?
I’ve blogged before on the idea that we now have high-level evidence that suggests ACL surgery itself is harming the joint. While at the Havemeyer Symposium (think tank) at CSU, one of the physician-scientists presented an interesting slide that supports this idea. Let me explain. The Prior Research As I have reported previously, data from…read more Waiting on ACL Surgery Protects Knee Cartilage
Repairing the ACL within a few weeks or months of injury has become the standard of care. However, is this really best for the patient? A new study demonstrates that we may be harming more patients with this approach than we’re helping. Let’s review. ACL Reconstruction I have seen many surgeons conclude that ACL reconstruction…read more Another ACL Stem Cell Home Run: 5 Things to Remember to Ensure Success
Another day, another MRI of a patient whose ACL was destined to be ripped out and replaced, but due to an ultraprecise stem cell injection procedure, the damaged structure is healing and the patient will keep his own ligament. I’ve posted so many of these that it’s becoming commonplace to see these ACL tears heal…read more Interventional vs Surgical Orthopedics for Stem Cell Knee ACL Repair
I love LinkedIn as a platform for physicians to debate various issues back and forth, especially in this emerging field of regenerative orthopedic care and interventional versus surgical orthopedics. One of the things that came up this week is that while we invented and continue to publish on the ACL stem cell injection procedure that…read more Knee Popping After Injury? This Could be a Bad Sign…
As you get older, some of us have joints that don’t hurt but start to make noises. Remember those cute Rice Krispies guys, Snap, Crackle, and Pop? If your knees sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies or you’re dealing with knee popping after injury, according to a new study, this may mean that arthritis…read more Why You Can’t Inject a Torn Knee ACL with Ultrasound
When we first began injecting ACL tears with stem cells many years ago, we tried quite a few techniques. At first, it was a very difficult injection that wasn’t reliable. However, after some anatomy review and testing several methods, we finally settled on a procedure that produced reliable results and then began teaching that through…read more 
