ACL tear injections offer a powerful alternative to ACL surgery that can get you moving again.
Do you have an ACL tear? An invasive surgery isn’t your only option. Injection treatments can help you heal and get back to your life, without you ever having to see an operating room.
What is an ACL tear?
Your ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the major ligaments inside the knee. It’s what stabilizes the joint and prevents the shin bone from sliding out in front of the thigh bone.
The ACL can tear either fully or partially. Most tears are related to athletic activities where sudden stops or direction changes are involved, such as soccer, football, basketball, and tennis.
Why surgery only solves half the problem
Knee Surgery is a common treatment for ACL tears, and usually involves a graft to replace or “patch up” the torn area of the ligament. Recovering from surgery requires at least six months to a year or more, depending on how severe the injury is, and safe. return to sport after ACL surgery can take up to two years.
Risks of ACL reconstruction knee surgery include retear of the ACL graft, but there is also an even higher risk of tearing the ACL in the other knee. While having an ACL injury increases the risk of osteoarthritis in the knee, ACL reconstruction surgery has been shown to cause more arthritis than conservative non-surgical treatment.
Furthermore, while surgery does repair the tear, it doesn’t address the issue that caused the tear in the first place. A treatment approach that doesn’t attempt to locate the core of the issue leaves you open to potential re-tears and further injuries.
Alternatives to ACL surgery in Los Angeles, CA
Physical therapy alone is a powerful way to avoid surgery. More than 60% of patients are able to recover from ACL tears with this non-surgical approach.
In addition, holistic treatments are available that use injections of regenerative mixtures, including bone marrow stem cells, which harness the body’s own regenerative capacity to heal the injury. Used in conjunction with physical therapy, this approach has the potential to help even more patients who want to avoid undergoing surgery. Stem cell injections are also much less invasive than surgery and have a much shorter recovery time.
Non-surgical injections for ACL tears
Many stem cell treatment providers offer injections that are prepared using an automated centrifuge. This approach creates a “one-size-fits-all” injection mixture. Most clinics simply inject this mixture into the knee without targeting the ACL or other involved structures.
At The Patel Center for Functional Regeneration, Dr. Patel uses a variety of highly-customized regenerative mixtures for ACL tear injuries, including high concentration bone marrow stem cells as well as different types of advanced Platelet Rich Plasma (which contains powerful growth factors). These regenerative solutions are then specifically targeted to the ACL and other tissues using a combination of ultrasound and fluoroscopy x-ray guidance. By using this methodology, Dr. Patel is able to make sure that the correct powerful regenerative mixtures are delivered precisely to the appropriate structures for the best overall benefit to the ACL and any other piece of the puzzle.
You can learn more about non-surgical injections for ACL tears by watching this one-minute patient success story about Leanna, a cheerleader who healed her torn ACL at The Patel Center for Functional Regeneration.
Find out more about alternative treatments for ACL tears
Interested in learning more about non-surgical injection treatments for ACL tears? Dr. Patel specializes in non-surgical treatment in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, CA. Contact our patient concierge team to learn more about your non-surgical treatment options.