ACL Reconstruction With Autografts Weighing Performance Considerations and Postoperative Care

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is the treatment of choice for patients who experience episodes of instability and a decreased quality of life after ACL rupture. The bone-patellar tendon-bone and hamstring autografts are the current standards for ACL reconstruction. Primary care physicians, especially sports medicine clinicians, are the first-line providers of nonoperative care for patients who have ACL injuries. Care providers need to know the biologic and biomechanic properties of these grafts, clinical indications for each graft, and rehabilitation considerations to appropriately counsel their patients.