Dr. William Sterett

Vail Valley's Top ACL Surgeon

 ACL Reconstruction in the Vail Valley

ACL Reconstruction is a common procedure performed by Dr. Sterett and his team at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery. In Eagle County's active population, ACL tears can any time of year. As the leading expert in ACL injuries, Dr. Sterett knows that every patient is different and no two injuries are the same.

How Do You Tear Your ACL?

A healthy knee is formed by the femur, tibia, and patella bones. Cartilage keeps the bones from grinding together while the ligaments help the knee joint bend and twist through its normal range of motion. 

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) runs diagonally, through the middle of the knee, and keeps the tibia in place as well as provides knee stability during rotational movements.

ACL tears are often associated with abrupt movements, such as:

  • Quick pivots or side-to-side movements

  • Cutting or twisting motions

  • Landing on straight knees

  • Falling in a way that twists the knee

  • A forceful impact to the side of the knee

 

Female athletes are three to four times more likely to tear their ACL than their male counterparts.

Click here to learn more about the anatomical and performance factors that cause this increased risk.

What are the Symptoms of a Torn ACL?

Immediately after an ACL injury, patients will often experience the following symptoms:

  • Popping noise or sensation

  • Pain

  • Swelling

  • Instability

Soon after the injury, the knee's swelling will increase. Patients typically have tenderness and pain along the joint line, decreased range of motion, and difficulty walking.

Diagnosing an ACL Tear

At his clinic, Dr. Sterett and his team will diagnose your ACL injury using:

  • Medical history

  • Physical Exam

  • Imaging Tests

After diagnosing the extent of your ACL tear, Dr. Sterett will work with you to recommend a treatment plan that gets you back to doing the activities you love.

Click here to read more about Team Sterett's work on activity preservation. 

What is the Best ACL Graft Option?

When you tear your ACL, Dr. Sterett and his team at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery need to rebuild the damaged ligament. graft choices for repairing a torn ACL are placed into two categories: 

  1. Allografts: Where the new tissue is taken from a donor or cadaver.

  2. Autografts: When the new tissue is harvested from the patient's own body.

For any active patient under the age of 35, Dr. Sterett will typically recommend an ACL Autograft. ACL grafts can be harvested from the following sites:

While many surgeons still use the patellar tendon to replace the ACL, Dr. Sterett moved away from that technique nearly 20 years ago, due to the high incidence of patellar tendonitis and slower recovery times. 

Now, Dr. Sterett typically recommends the quadriceps tendon graft, especially if the following patients:

  • Have a history of patellar tendon issues

  • Are athletes under 25-years-old

  • Are congenitally loose-jointed and prone to hyperextension

Click here to learn more about your ACL graft options. 

Returning to Sport After an ACL Tear

Dr. Sterett and his team are dedicated to getting his patients back to the activities they love. As your orthopaedic team, Team Sterett will customize your ACL rehab to strengthen and condition your knee for a safe return to sport. 

Before clearing patients to return to mountain activities, Dr. Sterett has them take a functional SPORT test. This test will involve testing the patient's agility in the following areas:

  • Side-to-side

  • Forward running

  • Backward running

  • Single leg dips

Team Sterett's goal is to give the knee the proper time to remodel so that patients feel comfortable returning to sports after ACL surgery. 

Click here to learn about wearing knee braces after ACL surgery.

Why Choose Team Sterett for Your ACL Reconstruction

Dr. Sterett is the Head Physician for the U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team and the foremost expert in ACL tears in the county. After helping grow the two-person Steadman-Hawkins Clinic to its current size and world-renown stature, Dr. Sterett joined Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery as a managing partner. 

Even though he is routinely sought out by professional athletes, Dr. Sterett treats every patient with the same level of skill, compassion, and expertise. 

With two convenient locations in the Vail Valley, Dr. Sterett is often able to accept same or next-day patients. Request a consultation today by calling (970) 476-7220 or through our online appointment request form.