%0 Journal Article
%T A Brief History of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
%A Nikolaos Davarinos
%A Barry James O'Neill
%A William Curtin
%J Advances in Orthopedic Surgery
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/706042
%X Reconstructions of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are among the most frequently performed procedures in knee surgery nowadays. The history of ACL surgery can be traced as far back as the Egyptian times. The early years reflect the efforts to establish a viable, consistently successful reconstruction technique while, during the early 20th century, we witness an increasing awareness of, and interest in, the ligament and its lesions. Finally, we highlight the most important steps in the evolution of the ACL reconstruction surgery by discussing the various techniques spanning the years using not only autologous grafts (fascia lata, meniscal, hamstring, patella tendon, bone-patella tendon-bone, and double bundle grafts) but also synthetic ones and allografts. 1. Introduction Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common injury in active people, and one of the most common knee injuries in sports. It is estimated that the annual incidence of ACL injury is about 1 in 3,000 amongst the general population in the USA. That means more than 150,000 new ACL ruptures annually [1]. The healing response after ACL rupture is poor. Without surgical reconstruction the ACL deficient knee is limited. So are the patient¡¯s activities and such ACL deficiency can lead to future degenerative changes [2¨C5]. Nowadays, ACL reconstruction surgery is a major area of research worldwide. This is partly due to the large number of athletes being involved in professional sports where a fast recovery and rehab are essential to return quickly to the sport. It is also due to the greater awareness within the general public of their own healthcare matters and the higher expectations now evident in amateur sports-persons and non-sports-persons alike. We present a brief history of ACL injury and the surgical measures taken to address it over the years as well as the modern ACL reconstruction techniques. 2. The Early Years The cruciate ligaments have been known about since old Egyptian times and their anatomy was described in the famous Smith Papyrus (3000 BC). Hippocrates also (460¨C370£¿BC) mentioned the subluxation of the knee joint with ligament pathology, but Claudius Galen, a Greek physician in the Roman Empire, was the first to describe the true nature of the ACL [6]. Prior to Galen¡¯s description, it was believed that the cruciate ligaments were part of the nervous system, but Galen was the first to describe the ACL as being a structure that supports the joint and prevents abnormal knee motion. He called the cruciate ligaments genu cruciata but he did not describe in
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aos/2014/706042/