Recently, the podcast Ortho EVAL Pal with Paul Marquis featured our very own Dr. Eric Hoffman who discussed managing patients with ACL injuries before, during, and after surgery. The treatment of ACL injuries has change drastically over the past 10–15 years, particularly in how we approach physical therapy. Dr. Hoffman and Paul Marquis speak to the increase in ACL reconstruction surgery, the switch to a more anatomic approach, the important post-op “Do’s and Don’ts,” and other interesting topics.
Dr. Hoffman is a board-certified sports medicine physician who specializes in the arthroscopic treatment of knee and shoulder injuries. He’s a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Maine Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Piedmont Orthopaedic Society and Arthroscopy Association of North America. He is the head team physician at Falmouth High School, located in Falmouth, Maine, where he resides with his family.
Ortho EVAL Pal with Paul Marquis, P.T., is a podcast devoted to improving orthopaedic evaluation and management skills for medical providers. To listen to the podcast, click here!
What is ACL Reconstructive Surgery?
Many athletes or sports enthusiasts have heard of ACL surgery, or know someone who has torn their ACL. But what does it mean? The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a major ligament in your knee, and a torn ACL is a common sports medicine injury in Maine and elsewhere. The tear generally occurs when someone comes to a quick stop or a sudden change in direction. This sports injury regularly occurs with athletes who play basketball, football and soccer, and it’s also seen in downhill skiing and gymnastics.