Does a torn ACL need surgery?

Question

My husband injured his knee while working 5 years ago.The doctor was ready to do surgery,then decided to just do physical therapy.His knee has bothered him ever since but alot lately.It was workman's comp,he changed employers.Now nobody covers this injury.The only way to heal is with surgery that nobody covers and he needs 6 months to recover.We cannot afford to be without pay and to pay $20,000 for surgery,unless we move to Europe :-) and file for banctruptcy....

Answer 1

First - a torn ACL does not always need surgery. The physician's decision to avoid surgery may have been because of his activity level or other risks involved with the surgery. A person can live a normal, somewhat active life without an ACL. In physical therapy, your husband should have learned that the Hamstring muscles can give support to the knee to substitute for the ACL and therefore he should strengthen them.

Second - are you sure the ACL is what is causing the pain? have you been to see a physician recently? If the ACL was completely torn then it will not cause pain (nerve/vascular supply is low and when the ligament is completely torn there is nothing there to stimulate pain receptors). It is entirely possible that his knee pain is being caused by another factor: osteoarthritis, meniscus tear, hairline fracture, patellofemoral pain, patella subluxation, tendonitis, etc. If this is the case, your medical insurance should pay for it.

Answer 2

can either be complete or partial. When
there is a partial ACL tear, a difficult decision about surgery needs to be made. An ACL reconstruction involves significant rehabilitation, and other operative risks. Deciding when ACL reconstruction is necessary can be a difficult problem, especially when the ACL is only partially torn. So how do we decide when to reconstruct a partially torn ACL?
A. Treatment of an ACL tear is most dependent on how much knee instability is caused by the injury. Therefore, there is no critical cutoff (i.e. 50%) for determining when ACL reconstruction surgery is necessary in the setting of a partial ACL tear. Rather, the decision should be based on a combination of symptoms (instability, episodes of 'giving way,' etc.) and physical examination findings (Lachman test, pivot-shift). If there is instability perceived by the patient, and physical exam findings consistent with laxity of the ACL, then reconstruction is a reasonable option.
Unfortunately, incomplete tears of the ACL are difficult to assess. When looking at an injured ACL during an arthroscopy, your surgeon can assess the look and feel of the ligament to make an assessment on the extent of the injury.

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However, this look and feel method of assessing an ACL is very subjective. Not everyone will agree on what looks good and what looks bad. The better method of assessing a partial ACL injury is based on the aforementioned symptoms and examination findings
What is an anterior cruciate ligament tear?
The anterior cruciate ligament is one of four primary ligaments around the knee joint. It is an important stabilizer of the knee. The ACL can be injured by trauma or sporting activities. If the ligament is completely torn, it will not heal. Some individuals elect to leave the knee without an anterior cruciate ligament, and some choose ACL reconstruction of the ligament. If the knee has a deficient anterior cruciate ligament, the individual relies on the other three ligaments (as well as the inherent stability of the joint and surrounding muscles) to stabilize the joint. This is not always sufficient, and may lead to recurrent episodes of instability--a sensation that the knee may "give out." For more information on the anterior cruciate ligament:

Answer 3

Get a second opinion. It shouldn't take him completely out of the game for six months, depending on what he does for a living. the prevailing theory these days is to get them up and on it asap. stiffness and atrophy are a bigger obstacle than the risk of further injury.
I would also think that the workers' comp should still cover it even though he doesn't work for the same company. It makes more sense that the 5 years would be a bigger problem than the job change. Have you checked with an attorney? Perhaps you could call Tom Martino. He'd know all about both issues.
As for ACL repairs, the part I do know about, they are almost always repaired if completely ruptured. Instability will always be there until this is done. Rehabing the injury is typically an option when the ligament is torn and there is some instablity, but strengthening the muscles that support the joint will do.
I hope this is helpful.

Answer 4

Yes. I tore my ACL, MCL, and LCL playing football when I was a teenager, all at the same time. I had surgery on it and even still, my knee bothers me from time to time. I would say that surgery is definitely a good consideration. However, depending on how badly it effects him and how much pain he is in would determine if the money and time and all the other factors make the surgery worth it. Being only the one ligament, there are ways to alter your everyday routines, yet the injury being 5 years old should ring some warning bells. My knee surgery was five years ago in October. If it is only once in a while kinda thing, then go to physical therapy. Any doctor on you insurance could prescribe physical therapy and the insurance should, remember should, still cover it even though it is pre-existing.

Answer 5

Well unfortunately a torn ACL should require surgery. Im not sure why his doctor gave him just therapy. You should beable to file a claim against the doctor if his knee gets really bad, that should not only cover his surgery/pay loss but also give a generous amount for pain and suffering. Good luck.

Answer 6

unfortunately, the best cure for it is surgery. you might have to look into filing a another belated worker's comp claim since the problem was never really fixed. the doc should probably have done the surgery when the injury happened five years ago. contact your lawyer or a free legal advice (legit of course) place and see what they think your recourse is.

Answer 7

Only if he wants to use the knee again. Once it is torn it stays torn. Why won't work comp cover it? Contact a work comp lawyer, all states have different rules that govern what can and can't be done. His old employers work comp may not want to pay, and if you don't look into it, they won't have to!

Answer 8

Usually, not not always. I would not be too hasty. I would get a 2nd opinion before I do anything drastic, as NO surgery is guaranteed to work. If it doesn't work, the doctor and hospital still get their money, and all your husband gets, is to keep the pain in his knee, and a much lightened wallet.

Answer 9

Most of the time a torn ACL does require surgery to regain normal functions of the ligament.

Answer 10

knee injuries are easy to heal on your own if it is not swollen.
First he needs to lift weights every other day on his ankles to build up knee strength.
If he is in pain, try putting a magnet strip or one off the fridge on the knee where he hurts, wrap it on with sock or ace bandage.
Ice does wonder for pain also.
Another remedy is sleeping in a sleepin bag at night , that circulates and heals.
Surgury may cause more pain so try to avoid it and heal yourself. Ginko Biloba is good for knee and feet pain.