Feb 28, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
Doctor: New ACL Surgery Could Help Patients
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
A local surgeon from the University of Pittsburgh is talking about a new procedure for ACL knee problems that he says he believes will improve patient's recovery and prevent future problems.
Dr. Freddie Fu, the chairman and a professor for Orthopaedic Surgery at UPMC, is hosting an international summit over the next few days to discuss a new type of knee ligament surgery.
Experts say the procedure is specifically designed to repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, and potentially could alter the way the surgery is done.
According to health officials, the ACL is the main stabilizer of the knee and statistics show more than 200,000 active people could potential undergo ACL surgery this year in the United States.
Experts say recent studies show 60 to 90 percent of patients who have ACL surgery develop early onset osteoarthritis.
Dr. Fu says he believes the new surgery, called 'Double-Bundle Reconstruction,' has the potential to more completely restore the knee's natural anatomy and function as well as stop the potential for osteoarthritis.
Experts say he has so far performed the procedure more than 500 times.
Stay with KDKA for much more on this story.
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