Autograft: Using a piece of the patient's own body to reconstruct the ligament.
Higher success rate due to better acceptance by the body and stronger growth over time.
Recommended for younger, active individuals.
Allograft: Using a piece of a cadaver's body.
Patellar Tendon Autograft
The surgeon harvested a piece of the patellar tendon to create the new ACL.
Patellar tendon is located right below the kneecap.
Impact on Recovery
Harvesting the patellar tendon extends the recovery period.
Increases pain and discomfort during initial movements and bending of the knee due to the additional trauma of removing a piece of the patellar tendon along with the ACL repair itself.