I have a trick knee that goes out on my every now and then. It’s from a torn ACL from an old football injury. If I have it repaired surgically will that stop it from giving way?

It should but there are no guarantees. It may depend on the condition of the rest of your knee joint. Are the other ligaments okay? What about the cartilage? Are there any signs of advancing arthritis? How much strength do you have in the muscles around the knee joint? These are all important factors.

There are two popular ways to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). One of these methods called the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft has been shown to be 22 percent more stable. In other words, it’s less likely to give way because of joint laxity. The increased graft strength may come from the small piece of bone plug that’s used along with the tendon tissue to make the repair.

The choice of graft material must be made on a case-by-case basis. It’s an educated decision based on the condition of your joint, your activity level, your goals, and the surgeon’s level of expertise.