Knee Ligament Surgery in Elizabethtown, KY
Knee Ligament Surgery for Elizabethtown Patients
Four ligaments hold the knee together: the ACL and PCL in the center, the MCL on the inside and the LCL on the outside. A blow to the knee, a twist with the foot planted, or a fall on the field or the job site can tear one or more of them. At Aptiva Health’s Elizabethtown clinic, 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, knee ligament injuries are evaluated with an exam and on-site X-ray the same day, treated with bracing and physical therapy whenever that is enough, and repaired or reconstructed by Dr. J. Steve Smith, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, when it is not. Every visit except the operation itself takes place in Elizabethtown. ACL tears have their own page: ACL reconstruction in Elizabethtown.
Call 270-506-4888, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, for a same-day appointment at 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701.
Medically reviewed by J. Steve Smith, MD. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Schedule your appointment today!
Which Ligament Injuries Need Surgery?
MCL (inside of the knee): the most common knee ligament injury and the one most likely to heal without surgery. Most grade 1 and 2 sprains and many complete tears heal in a hinged brace. Surgery is reserved for tears that pull off bone with a fragment, tears that stay loose after bracing, and MCL injuries combined with other ligament tears.
LCL and posterolateral corner (outside of the knee): less common, but these injuries heal poorly on their own. Complete tears are usually repaired or reconstructed early, within the first two to three weeks.
PCL (back of the knee): typically a dashboard injury or a fall onto a bent knee. Isolated PCL tears are often treated with a brace and therapy; reconstruction is considered for high-grade tears, ongoing instability, or PCL tears combined with other ligament damage.
Multi-ligament injuries and knee dislocations: these require urgent evaluation to check the blood vessels and nerves and are almost always reconstructed surgically, often in stages.
Surgery is also recommended for recurrent dislocations regardless of age, and for tears with a loose fragment that catches.
What We Try First, in Elizabethtown
For injuries that can heal without surgery, the full pathway is at Westport Road:
A hinged knee brace fitted at the clinic, with protected weight bearing as needed
Physical therapy with Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA: swelling control, range of motion, then quadriceps and hamstring strengthening and balance work. Dovie works one on one with patients and has extensive experience with orthopedic injuries and conditions.
Re-examination at two to six weeks to confirm the ligament is tightening as it heals; a knee that stays loose moves to the surgical discussion
Your First Visit at Westport Road
Where: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701.
When: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; same-day appointments at 270-506-4888. Acute injuries are seen the same day whenever possible.
What happens: history of the injury, a ligament stability exam, and on-site X-rays to rule out fracture.
Further imaging: MRI, when needed to map which ligaments are torn and whether the meniscus or cartilage is involved, is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road in Louisville, and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Bring: photo ID, insurance card, medication list, prior imaging, and claim details for work, auto or school-sports injuries.
Surgery Day
Ligament surgery is performed under general or regional anesthesia, usually as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the ligament and the pattern of the tear, the surgeon either repairs the ligament back to bone with suture anchors or reconstructs it with a tendon graft placed through tunnels drilled in the bone. The arthroscope is used to treat any meniscus or cartilage damage at the same time. Most procedures take one to two hours.
Surgery for Elizabethtown patients is performed in the Louisville metro area. The pre-operative visit where your plan, brace and therapy schedule are set is in Elizabethtown.
Recovery and Physical Therapy in Hardin County
Weeks 0 to 2: hinged brace, crutches, ice and elevation; first follow-up and stitch check at the Elizabethtown office.
Weeks 2 to 6: physical therapy begins at Westport Road, restoring motion and beginning weight bearing as the repair allows.
Weeks 6 to 12: brace weaned, strengthening progresses, stationary bike and pool work.
Months 3 to 6: running, agility and sport-specific training; return to contact sport is typically six to nine months after reconstruction, after strength and stability testing.
Risks and Realistic Expectations
Risks include infection, blood clots, stiffness, graft stretch or re-tear, nerve or vessel injury, and anesthesia complications. Results are best when the brace and therapy plan are followed closely and return to sport is not rushed. Combined injuries take longer than single-ligament tears, and a small amount of residual looseness is common after PCL reconstruction.
Why Elizabethtown Patients Choose Aptiva Health for Knee Ligament Care
One building for the whole pathway. Exam, X-ray, bracing, the pre-operative visit, every follow-up and physical therapy all happen at 529 Westport Road, so you are not driving to Louisville for routine care.
A surgeon who sees you in Elizabethtown. Dr. J. Steve Smith evaluates you here, operates in the Louisville metro area, and follows you here afterward.
Therapy and surgery on one chart. Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA follow Dr. Smith’s protocol directly, so your rehab matches your repair.
Same-day appointments for acute injuries. Call 270-506-4888, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Your Elizabethtown Clinic and Physical Therapy Team
Aptiva Health Orthopedics, Elizabethtown: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Phone 270-506-4888. Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. X-ray on site.
Physical therapy at Westport Road is provided by Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA. Dovie works one on one with patients and has extensive experience treating orthopedic injuries and conditions. Your surgeon and therapy team share one chart, so your rehab plan follows your surgical protocol.
MRI, when needed, is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40218, and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
When to See a Doctor
You should be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist if you have:
A pop or tearing sensation at the time of injury, followed by swelling
A knee that feels unstable, buckles or gives way
Pain along the inside or outside of the knee with bending or twisting
Inability to bear weight or fully straighten the knee
A knee injury from a fall, collision, motor vehicle crash or work accident
Same-day appointments are available at our Elizabethtown clinic Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.
Your Elizabethtown Knee Surgeon
J. Steve Smith, MD — Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Dr. Steve Smith is the Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at Aptiva Health and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, trained at the University of Rochester, and completed a sports medicine fellowship at the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he served on the medical staff for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Anaheim Ducks. He has performed thousands of orthopedic procedures on patients and athletes of all ages and treats the full range of knee conditions, including MCL, PCL, LCL, and ACL ligament injuries. Dr. Smith evaluates and treats knee patients at Aptiva Health’s Elizabethtown clinic on Westport Road, performs surgery in the Louisville metro area, and follows patients in Elizabethtown afterward.
Get Evaluated in Elizabethtown
Aptiva Health Orthopedics, Elizabethtown: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Call 270-506-4888, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, or schedule online. Same-day appointments are available for acute knee injuries.
Insurance accepted: most major medical insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, most Kentucky Medicaid plans, workers’ compensation and auto injury coverage. We offer self-pay where there is no insurance, it is a non-covered service, and on a case-by-case basis. Call 270-506-4888 and our team will check your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Knee Ligament Surgery in Elizabethtown
Do I have to go to Louisville for knee ligament surgery?
Your evaluation, X-rays, bracing, pre-operative visit, follow-ups and physical therapy are all at our Elizabethtown clinic on Westport Road. The surgery itself is performed in the Louisville metro area, and you return to Elizabethtown for all follow-up care.
Will my MCL tear need surgery?
Most do not. The MCL has a good blood supply and usually heals in a hinged brace with therapy over four to eight weeks. Surgery is considered when the ligament stays loose after bracing or when other ligaments are torn as well.
How is this different from ACL surgery?
ACL tears rarely heal and are usually reconstructed in active patients; see our ACL reconstruction page. MCL, LCL and PCL injuries are more often treated without surgery, and the surgical techniques differ for each ligament.
Can I do physical therapy in Elizabethtown?
Yes. Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA provide the full post-injury and post-surgical program at the Westport Road clinic, one on one, following Dr. Smith’s protocol.
How soon can I be seen after a knee injury?
Same-day appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.