ACL injuries & ACL Surgery

Dr. David M. Burt of the Midwest Sports Medicine Institute recently commented on Derek Rose’s ACL injury. “These injuries unfortunately are very common and the manner in which Derek Rose injured his ACL is one of the most common. He planted his foot and twisted as he was attempting to change direction and jump.”

Although his ultimate ability to perform on the court will remain to be seen, he does have an excellent chance of recovery with properly performed ACL surgery and rehabilitation. “When the ACL tears it requires a new ligament to be reconstructed and 6–9 months of recovery and rehabilitation time. With hard work Derek Rose has about a 90% chance of full recovery.”

Derek’s injury does highlight a potential warning sign for other athletes that may be playing while “nursing” other injuries. “The risk of ACL injury becomes much higher when athletes at any level return to play too soon after other knee, hip, or ankle injuries,” Dr. Burt said. “When you play too soon while recovering from an ankle sprain, the other joints are vulnerable to a catastrophic injury, such as the torn ACL.”

Dr. Burt is a Sports Medicine fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon in Naperville and is an expert in ACL and arthroscopic knee surgery.