I saw a video of the ACL repair done on my right knee last week. I noticed the hole where tissue is taken below the kneecap as a graft isn't closed up or sewn together. They just left it. Does this seem right?
It doesn't seem to matter if the defect is sutured or not. Several studies have confirmed this finding. The area fills in with tissue and heals the same either way. Since doctors try to keep the operation as short as possible, they may leave the gap and finish the procedure.
A recent study from Sweden reports on the long-term results of patellar tendon harvesting for ACL repairs. They found the area where tissue is removed gets wider and thicker on either side. These changes generally go back to normal later in the healing process. The hole fills in, but doesn't return to normal even after six years. Tissue at the donor site remains thinner and weaker than normal.
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