Present Status and Future Directions of the Treatment of Knee Ligament Injuries

Abstract

At the present time, we have made tremendous strides in our understanding of the biomechanics and healing processes involved in the treatment of knee ligament injuries. However, there is much confusion in the literature as to how we should treat various ligament tears or combinations of these tears, which has led to widely different ideas as to when one should treat severe ligament sprains conservatively or surgically. Likewise, many different operative procedures are advocated including surgical repair, autograft reconstructions, allograft reconstructions, grafts with ligament augmentation devices, or prosthetic replacement of torn ligaments. Postoperative rehabilitation regimens vary widely as to how aggressive these programs should be and as to when patients can return to vigorous sports or work activities.