Knee1.com strives to provide users with as many tools as possible to educate
themselves on their knee problems. In the past, we offered an interactive
"Ask an Expert" feature, but due to an extremely high volume of questions,
we are now seeking to find alternate ways to provide our users with access to the
information they're looking for. In seeking medical advice, we encourage you to use
these resources:
Below are some of the most-recently-answered questions from our Medical Experts. We recommend you read
over these questions as well as search our "Frequently Asked Questions" to
see if your question has already been answered.
If your question has not been addressed, please concider submitting your question to a Body1 Hero in an upcoming chat by clicking here.
Question:
My 14 yr old Daughter, has had knee pain and instability for 1 year. We know her acl is very loose and she is awaiting the mri results. She cannot walk for long periods of time, no athletics, gym, she can't even go to school dances. We feel she may need surgery. Could the surgery be a cure to returning to a normal life?
Dr. Farr is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee and sports medicine. He serves on the board of the Orthopedic Research Foundation and is medical director of www.cartilagerestoration.org and www.myknee.md, where emphasis is on exploring new ways to treat damaged cartilage. Dr. Farr is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).
Answer: It is very important to correlate anatomic problems with symptoms. You do not say how the ACL was injured. In an isolated injury, the loss of an ACL alone usually does not cause pain after recovery from the injury. Walking on level ground rarely causes pain with an isolated ACL injury. In addition, instability and giving way may have many causes--probably the most common is related knee cap imbalance. When you talk with your surgeon, be sure you understand what is causing each symptom and then how each relates to the plan for treatment.
Dr. Farr is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee and sports medicine. He serves on the board of the Orthopedic Research Foundation and is medical director of 
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