Philosophy and rationale for the management of anterior cruciate injuries and the resultant deficiencies.

Deficiency of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) results in the loss of the fine tuning of the knee joint. Either acute loss or chronic insufficiency of ACL function results in instability, tricking, and giving way, and subsequently the fluid gliding mechanics of the knee joint are significantly altered. Regardless of the length of time from injury to evaluation, it is imperative that a correct and complete diagnosis be made before a treatment program is selected. Functional stability, the goal, can be accomplished only by limiting clinical laxity through a combination of appropriate surgery and functional rehabilitation.