Jogging After ACL-Reconstruction?... May Want to Re-Think That. sfexaminer/imager/acl/b/original/2632685/b4b1/ACL.jpg Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery is a common form of treatment after ACL injury. It’s been known for several years that patients who undergo this surgery have a very high rate of further knee injuries, cartilage degeneration, and knee osteoarthritis, not only on the operated side, but also on the other knee as well. Altered gait biomechanics and weakness of muscles around the knee joint have been blamed for the increased risk of injuries and degeneration of knees after ACL reconstruction surgery. In summary, knees after ACL surgery show a decreased ability to absorb forces during function leading to altered joint loading patterns. Not surprisingly, since the reconstructed ligament is attached to the bone at a different place and with a different angle than the original ligament. A new study (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24247199) took a look at what happens to ACL reconstructed knees during jogging. In this study patients with history of an ACL repair showed alterations in hip, knee, and ankle biomechanics after 30 minutes of jogging. So, fatiguing exercises seem to exacerbate the altered biomechanics seen in ACL-repaired limbs in the non-fatigued state. This is obviously not good news to patients who had ACL repair surgery and who want to remain physically active. Stem cell therapy is emerging as a non-surgical alternative for the treatment of ACL injuries. Stem cell injections have been show to repair and re-grow cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, including injured ACL’s. This now gives patients a new option to treat ACL injuries without the trauma, possible side effects and complications of the surgical procedure, while maintaining their own tissue at a natural position and with natural biomechanics. Potentially, this could mean earlier return to normal activities and prevention of further injuries and osteoarthritis. To learn more about non-surgical alternatives to joint surgeries go to: dontoperate .
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 12:24:57 +0000