In 2023, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha (31 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) was riding a motorbike to work when she unfortunately had a traffic collision, leading to a broken anterior cruciate ligament. At first, Ms. Ha thought she was just dizzy, so she was subjective, thinking that walking gently for a few days would be fine. However, the pain in the leg became more and more serious.
"I went to the hospital for a X-ray but could not detect any damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. Seeing that I was in pain, the doctor only prescribed painkillers to take. About three months after the accident, I decided to take a CT scan. The results showed that I had a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a torn solutes, so I needed surgery to avoid more serious damage, said Ms. Ha.
Since surgery, Ms. Ha's legs have functioned normally. However, sometimes when in a cold environment such as air conditioners or cold weather, her feet still feel slightly pained, making her very scared when going to a place that is too cold.
According to Dr. Ngo Hoang Vien - Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, the rapid increase of means of transportation and sports activities today makes knee injuries increasingly common, especially injuries due to complex twists. In particular, ligament damage is a common clinical condition.
In recent years, we have recorded more and more injuries not only to one but also to two or more ligaments. In clinical research, if only talking about damage to the frontal cross ligament (ACL) and the backal cross ligament (PCL), this rate is quite rare, only ranging from about 3-4% of the total number of damages.
An overview study of the system shows that up to 93% of cases of damage to three or more ligaments. Therefore, when clinical examination to diagnose front or rear cruciate ligament rupture, it is necessary to pay attention to checking both the inner and outer ligaments to avoid missing damage. If not restored promptly, this condition can lead to severe loss of knee joint stability, loss of motor function and premature joint degeneration, warned Dr. Vien.
Currently, the technique of regenerating the front and rear cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL) allows for the same surgery with the minimum level of invasion. Compared to traditional open surgery, endoscopic surgery brings better rehabilitation results and faster recovery time.
However, this is a complex endoscopic technique, requiring the surgeon to have detailed knowledge of the pathology, a firm grasp of the technique and clinical experience to optimize the results, while minimizing post-operative complications for the patient, Dr. Hoang Vien emphasized.
