Artificial Ligament Surgery May Be an Option for Treating ACL Injuries

Discussion Media RS Pondok Indah (Yesica Sitinjak/VOI)

JAKARTA - Not only professional athletes, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries can occur in anyone. The ACL is a tear in one of the main ligaments that support the knee joint.

In general, everyone who is actively moving with high intensity has a risk of ACL injury. The following are some risk factors for ACL injury.

- Doing high impact sports- Having a history of previous knee injuries- Having less strong leg muscles- Having a poor level of body fitness- Doing less warming- Using shoes that are not suitable for the activity

If you have an ACL injury, you usually feel your knee is shaky and painful, limitations on daily activities, career obstacles for an athlete, and mental burden due to long recovery problems.

Therefore, ACL injuries must be treated quickly and appropriately. Treatment is usually initiated with a medical interview related to the chronology of the injury in the patient.

"The usual question is how the mechanism of the injury, what it is like. Usually the patient tells that there is a sound when he or she experiences the injury," said Sports Injury Consultant Orthopedic Specialist at Pondok Indah Hospital - Puri Indah, Dr. Christian Silas, Sp.OT, (K) AIFO-K, during a discussion at the Pondok Indah Hospital, in Jakarta, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

Regarding his actions, he is divided into two, namely non-surgical and surgical treatment. Non-surgical treatment for mild ACL injuries, while surgical treatment for patients with severe ACL injuries or total tears.

For surgical treatment, one of the recommended ones is artificial ligament or artificial ligament. This is an artificial ligament made of special polyethylene that is used to replace the original ligament that has been injured.

"The artificial ligament is synthetic, the material is polyethylene. Its function is to replace the severed ligament," he added.

Artificial ligaments are designed to resemble the mechanical strength of the human native ligament that stabilizes the joint and restores knee mobility. This action can be one of the options in certain conditions, especially when the patient needs a faster recovery, the condition of the body tissue is inadequate, or in revision surgery.

There are several advantages of artificial ligament surgery as follows.

- Does not require additional incisions for tissue removal, thus minimizing temporary pain and weakness in the tissue area - Faster action time of about 30-60 minutes because there is no process of removing tissue from the patient's body - Has higher and consistent strength - Faster recovery time

However, the recovery time from the action to return to exercise or normal activities is determined based on the evaluation of knee strength and function by orthopedic specialists and physiotherapists. It is recommended to continue to consult a doctor and carry out a recovery program tailored to your daily activity needs and goals.