What is Ligaments Repair?
Ligaments are a series of flexible connective tissues to circle a joint and support its movement. Any damage to ligaments may bring a range of problems for the active joint viz. Shoulder, knee and Ankle joints, to the extent of making it unstable. Any type of injury can damage the ligament, say, like sports injury, wherein the patient may find it tough to turn, twist or pivot the involved joints as well as distal and proximal joints.
For such individuals, ligament repair or ligament reconstruction becomes the last alternative where a surgery is done to replace the ligament. That way, patients can return to normal day-to-day activities.
What are the types of Ligaments Injury?
Ligament repair depends upon the kind of sprain into the ligament. There are three types of sprain in ligament.
Let’s have a look at each of them:-
GRADE 1 SPRAIN – Such a sprain happens when collagen fibers get some damage and a local inflammatory response emerges bringing pain to the affected ligament. GRADE 2 SPRAIN – Such a sprain happens when more collagen fibers get the damage and here too, inflammatory response emerges alongside pain and swelling in the region. GRADE 3 SPRAIN – Such a sprain occurs when a complete rupture is recorded to the ligament due to the damage to collagen fibers.
Sign and symptoms of Ligaments Injury
Ligaments repair surgery becomes important in a number of cases when other medications have failed to bring the desired results.
Let’s look at cases when this surgery is needed:-
• When there is persistent pain in Involved joint • When the Particular joint fails to support the daily activities • When the condition restricts sporting acts and day today activities • When injury is caused to other ligaments • When there is repetitive injury to Particular joint
Treatment of ligament Repair Surgery
In Shoulder: Shoulder arthroscopy surgery is done where a small camera (arthroscope) helps in examination or repairing of the tissues of the shoulder joint. These tissues can be either inside or around the joint, and a small cut is made in the skin to insert the camera. A video monitor connection is set up, and tissues like ligaments, bones, cartilage and tendons are inspected for repairing purposes.
In Knee:
Knee arthroscopy would be the process of doing this surgery wherein a small camera gets fitted into the knee via a cut. During surgery, under anesthesia a donor site would be involved to fetch the tissue that would replace the damaged ACL. Alongside viewing at monitor, the doctor gets other cuts around the knee to fit it instruments. Rounds of procedures are followed wherein any damage is fixed and the ACL is replaced.
In Ankle: The surgery starts by keeping the patient with general or regional anesthesia. Arthroscopic surgery of the ankle joint involves a big incision to perform the examination and repair exercises of the tissues. Among many techniques, doctors often repair ligaments with stitches from the same patient.