Rebuild knee stability when a torn ACL keeps you from cutting, pivoting, jumping, or competing confidently. Dr. Stephanie Buza, our board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, provides ACL reconstruction to help you safely return to active movement.
Rebuild Your Knee for an Active Comeback
ACL reconstruction is surgery that replaces a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), one of the primary ligaments that stabilizes your knee. Rather than sewing the ACL back together, Dr. Buza reconstructs it using a tissue graft positioned where the original ligament was located. The graft is gradually incorporated as part of your knee, helping restore stability during demanding movements such as running, jumping, and pivoting so you can work toward safely returning to your activities.
ACL Reconstruction Treats:
- Complete ACL tears
- ACL injuries causing persistent knee instability
- A knee that repeatedly gives way during activity
- ACL tears affecting cutting and pivoting sports
- Injuries limiting running, jumping, or rapid direction changes
- ACL tears that prevent a safe return to competitive sports
- ACL injuries occurring alongside meniscus or cartilage damage
Knee Ligament Reconstruction Beyond the ACL
Your knee relies on four major ligaments (the ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL) to provide stability and control movement. Although ACL reconstruction is the most common, other injured knee ligaments may also require reconstruction when they cannot provide enough stability. Dr. Buza evaluates which structures are damaged and how instability affects you. Reconstruction uses a graft to restore the function of the injured ligament and help you work toward stable movement again.
Benefits of ACL Reconstruction:
- Improved stability in a knee that repeatedly gives way
- Greater confidence during cutting, pivoting, and jumping
- Restoration of functional knee control during demanding movement
- A pathway toward returning to competitive and recreational sports
- Individualized graft selection based on your needs and activity goals
- Improved ability to perform higher-demand athletic movements
- Reduced episodes of instability that can interfere with training
- Treatment tailored to your sport, lifestyle, and return-to-activity goals
Your ACL Reconstruction Procedure
ACL reconstruction is typically performed arthroscopically through small incisions around your knee. Dr. Buza inserts an arthroscope to examine the joint and confirm the ligament damage. The torn ACL is then replaced with a tissue graft, which may come from one of your own tendons or donor tissue, depending on your individual surgical plan and activity needs.
Dr. Buza creates small bone tunnels in the femur and tibia at the ACL’s natural attachment points. The graft is passed through these tunnels and secured with fixation devices so it sits in the position of your original ligament. Its placement and tension help restore knee stability while the graft incorporates into the surrounding bone. After surgery, structured rehabilitation progressively restores motion, strength, control, and eventually sport-specific movement.
Return to Activity After ACL Reconstruction
You’ll start moving soon after surgery, but returning to your sport takes time. The first 2 to 6 weeks focus on controlling swelling, regaining knee motion, walking normally, and waking up your quadriceps. You’ll use crutches initially and gradually leave them behind as your strength, balance, and walking improve. Physical therapy becomes progressively more challenging.
In about 3 to 4 months, you may begin running if your knee has enough strength and control. Jumping, cutting, pivoting, and sport-specific drills are introduced later. Returning to unrestricted pivoting sports often takes 9 to 12 months. Dr. Buza looks at your strength, movement, graft healing, and sport-specific readiness to determine when you’re ready to get back out there.
Move Better. Feel
Stronger. Get Back Out There.
Schedule Your Consultation for ACL Reconstruction in NYC
Dr. Stephanie Buza is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. As a former classically trained ballet dancer, she understands what stable movement means when your sport or performance depends on it. Your treatment is individualized around your injury, activity demands, and comeback goals. Schedule your consultation for ACL reconstruction in New York City today.
