Paulos, who helped Andrews establish the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Pensacola, Fla., said it is likely Easley underwent a bone-tendon-bone graft, the same procedure used to repair Tom Brady’s torn ACL, done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
With a BTB graft, a hole is drilled in both the femur and the tibia, and a strip of the patella tendon is harvested with bone attached on each end in place of the ACL.
According to Paulos, the BTB graft is the procedure most used to repair ACLs for NFL players because of its quick recovery time. If a player injures just his ACL and has a BTB graft, the consensus is that he can return in 4-6 months.
The return is slightly delayed if there is additional damage, such as a meniscus tear, which prolongs the period of being on crutches.
“It’s a popular graft because it’s extremely fast to heal,” Paulos said. “You can start some rehab by three weeks, get on the bike or get in a pool, and start working the quads and hamstrings faster than other graft choices out there.”
