ACL Surgeon Los Angeles

ACL Injury Specialist

Knee Specialist and ACL Surgeon in Los Angeles, CA

As a minimally invasive knee specialist, Dr. Mark Getelman diagnoses and treats numerous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in Van Nuys, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles, California residents. One of the most common knee injuries is an ACL tear, which can occur from trauma during sporting activities or from a hyperextension injury or fall during simple activities of daily living. Depending on the severity of tear, surgery may be required to return full function and stability to the affected knee. As one of the best and busiest ACL surgeons in Los Angeles, Dr. Getelman has treated countless patients and returned them to the activities they love following an ACL reconstruction or ACL revision surgery.

An Overview on the Knee Joint and ACL

The knee joint is a highly complex structure composed of bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and articular cartilage. With the high amount of stress placed on the joint daily, the knee is prone to injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), one of the most common knee injuries is an ACL tear.

The anterior cruciate ligament runs diagonally in the center of the knee. It is responsible for preventing the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur. The ACL also helps provide rotational stability to the knee joint. If the ACL becomes injured, the affected knee will become unstable and painful, and may become quite swollen following a traumatic injury.

An ACL injury most commonly occurs during athletic non-contact activities that involve sudden stops or changes in direction. These movements often cause the knee to shift and buckle, leading to an ACL sprain or tear. A “pop” is often felt and heard at the time the ligament tears. ACL injuries also occur in athletic activities that involve contact, such as football. A direct blow to the knee can cause the ligament to stretch beyond its normal range of motion and tear.

Knee Specialists are Trained to Diagnose and Treat ACL Injuries

It is estimated approximately half of all ACL injuries involve damage to the other surrounding structures, such as other ligaments, the meniscus or articular cartilage. A knee specialist is required to diagnose the severity of the injury, as well as develop a treatment plan.

ACL tears are graded on a 1-3 scale:

• Grade 1- The ligament is mildly damaged. It has been slightly stretched, but still has the ability to keep the joint stable.
• Grade 2- The ligament is stretched to the point where it becomes loose. This is often referred to as a partial tear of the ligament.
• Grade 3- This type of injury is most commonly referred to as a complete ACL tear. The ligament has been avulsed or torn from the bone or torn in its mid portion into two pieces, and the knee joint is unstable.

Many ACL injuries require a surgical procedure and many Los Angeles patients choose Dr. Getelman, one of the best ACL surgeons in Los Angeles.

Minimally Invasive Procedures Offered by One of the Best ACL Surgeons in Los Angeles

ACL injuries often require a surgical reconstruction in order to return function and stability to the knee joint. The surgical procedure requires arthroscopic minimally invasive tunnels to be created. Then a soft tissue graft is inserted to restore the ACL function. The surgery is extremely technique dependent and requires precise tunnel creation. Both Autograft and Allograft tissue may be used and the graft choice is an important decision to be made by both the patient and surgeon together

Some patients have surgery performed by surgeons who do ACL reconstruction infrequently. This may impact tunnel positioning, graft selection and surgical outcomes. As one of the best ACL surgeons in Los Angeles, Dr. Getelman has extensive experience and is an expert in primary ACL reconstructions and ACL revision surgeries. Dr. Getelman typically performs over 100 ACL surgeries per year, which may be more than other knee specialists in the greater San Fernando and Conejo Valley communities of Los Angeles.

Dr. Getelman will explain the ACL reconstruction and discuss different graft options or the possible need for ACL revision surgery with each patient on an individual basis.

If you live in the Van Nuys, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks and Los Angeles, California communities and are searching for a knee specialist, please contact the office of Dr. Mark Getelman. Considered one of the best ACL surgeons in Los Angeles, he strives to return patients to activities as quickly as possible following an ACL surgery.