Question: I am a man in 30s and I recently ruptured the ACL in my knee. I’d like to get it repaired since I am an avid golfer. I have been offered a cadaver replacement ligament. Is there a chance this ligament could be rejected by my body?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:
ACL reconstruction surgery uses a graft to replace the ligament. The most common grafts are autografts using part of your own body, such as the tendon of the kneecap (patellar tendon) or one of the hamstring tendons. Another choice is allograft tissue, which is taken from a deceased donor. Researchers at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center, presented findings at the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine 2008 Annual Meeting, that because of the almost 24 percent failure rate, the use of cadaver replacement ligaments might not be the best choice for young athletic patients under the age of 40. The risks involved are disadvantages associated with scarcity of suitable tissue, the risk of the recipient contracting a disease from the donor, or tissue rejection.