[Source: Daily Mail]
Surgery on a previously unknown ligament can make knee repairs stronger. David Walton, 31, a snow sports company director from Surrey, told Carol Davis his story
The Patient
While skiing in the French Alps in March 2016, my left ski caught heavy snow and I fell, twisting as I toppled down the slope.
I heard a pop in my left knee, then felt a throbbing pain, so I covered it in snow to numb it. Alone, I had to ski down to get help, putting my weight on my right leg.
After X-rays at the local clinic, doctors told me I had ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the band of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin, keeping the knee stable. An MRI scan confirmed this and showed other damage.
I wore a knee brace, took painkillers and rested, but doctors said the only option was surgical repair if I wanted to stay active as a keen skier and an Army reservist.
I researched private surgeons and when I saw Professor Adrian Wilson six weeks later, he explained that, as well as reconstructing the ACL, he’d repair the anterolateral ligament at the side of my knee.
Professor Wilson said doctors discovered this ligament only eight years ago. It is not easily seen in images or even during surgery unless you know exactly where to look, and it was likely it had been damaged in my fall. Repairing it as well as my ACL would make my knee stronger.
I had the three-hour operation under general anaesthetic. The next day, my partner, Lauren, took me home, still on crutches. In the following months, I had weekly physiotherapy and did exercises three times a day to build up muscle strength. By the end of June, I was off crutches and could cycle, and walk our puppy.
Now — two-and-a-half years after the fall — I’m back to full fitness and ready for another ski season.
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To read the full article visit https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7598509/How-surgeon-fixed-knee-skiing-accident-repairing-secret-tendon.html
