Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
![](/Images/godic/202412/21/Anterior_cruciate_ligament_repair_3_legend4152.jpg")
![Grafts are inserted through a tunnel that is drilled through the shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur). The graft is then pulled through the tunnel and fixated with screws. The two bright objects in this X-ray are screws in the thigh bone (above) and shin bone (below).](/Images/godic/202412/21/LCA-RX24152.jpg")
![Left knee following hamstring autograft ACL reconstruction, partial meniscectomy and medial meniscus repair.](/Images/godic/202412/21/ACL_reconstruction_hamstring_autograft4152.jpg")
![Knees following ACL reconstruction surgery. A patellar tendon graft was used. Discoloration of the left leg is from swelling that drained from the knee to the shin.](/Images/godic/202412/21/ACLReconstruction4153.jpg")
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL reconstruction) is a surgical tissue graft replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament, located in the knee, to restore its function after anterior cruciate ligament injury. The ACL can be injured if the joint of your knee is bent backward, rotated, or quickly shifted laterally or if any of these things occurred simultaneously. The torn ligament is removed from the knee before the graft is inserted. The surgery is performed arthroscopically. A third procedure introduced in 2015 is the "BEAR" procedure which is in reference to the Bridge-Enhanced ACL repair.