Ligament Reconstruction

Ligaments hold your bones together and stabilize your joints. If you suffer a ligament tear, call Jon Thompson, MD, at his office in McKinney or Prosper, Texas. A double board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert, Dr. Thompson specializes in ligament reconstruction. He uses minimally invasive surgery to limit the pain and promote healing whenever possible. Call Jon Thompson, MD, today or book an appointment online to learn more about his expertise in ligament reconstruction.

What is ligament reconstruction?

Ligament reconstruction is surgery that repairs or replaces injured ligaments.

Ligaments are tough connective tissues that join the bones in your joints, help stabilize and support the joints, and enable you to move. Injuries like tears and ruptures cause pain, limit joint function, and can result in joint instability.

The ligament reconstructions done by Dr. Thompson are most often on the knee and ankle ligaments. The knee has four primary ligaments:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)

Dr. Thompson specializes in ligament reconstruction operations.

When would I need ligament reconstruction?

Ligament injuries are common, especially in athletes, but you can also damage a ligament in a fall or auto accident. Mild to moderate injuries, where the ligament stretches, becomes inflamed, or partially tears, often heal well with nonsurgical treatments like rest, physical therapy, and medication.

If the ligament is badly torn or ruptured, it’s difficult for your body to heal the damage on its own. You could suffer chronic pain, limited function, or permanent weakness in the affected joint. These injuries require expert ligament reconstruction surgery.

What does ligament reconstruction involve?

In most cases, Dr. Thompson performs ligament reconstruction using a minimally invasive technique. This involves inserting an arthroscope into a small cut in the joint. The arthroscope — a slim, flexible tube — goes through the incision right into the joint.

The arthroscope has a lighted camera on its tip that sends back magnified images to a monitor in the operating room. Dr. Thompson uses these images to guide the arthroscope and any additional instruments he needs to complete your surgery.

The ligament reconstruction process involves taking a section of tendon (the connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones) from another part of your body. Dr. Thompson uses the tendon to join or replace the torn pieces of the ligament, securing the ligament to the bone.

After ligament reconstruction, you’ll need to rest the joint and complete specialized physical therapy. It can take six months or more for the injury to fully heal. Provided you follow Dr. Thompson’s advice, you should regain full use of the joint.

Call Jon Thompson, MD, today or book an appointment online to learn how you could benefit from his expertise in ligament reconstruction.