Circumstances of Injury:

A volunteer soldier. On July 14, 2025, while positioned on the front line, he came under attack from enemy FPV drones and grenade drops from UAVs. During the strike, while trying to take cover, he fell into a trench and severely injured his knee. Despite the concussion, disorientation, and overall condition, he managed to crawl approximately 100–150 meters to a safer area to avoid being hit again.

At first, he didn’t even realize he was injured — the shock and concussion masked the pain. Only during evacuation did he notice significant swelling in his knee and understand that the injury was serious.

Diagnosis:

Closed injury of the medial meniscus and injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the left knee joint.

The medial meniscus is the inner cartilage in the knee that acts as a shock absorber. Damage to it causes pain, swelling, and sometimes a catching or locking sensation in the joint.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the main ligaments responsible for stabilizing the knee. Its injury leads to joint instability and a sensation of the knee “giving way” or twisting unexpectedly.

This combination of injuries results in pain, reduced stability, and limited ability to move or bear weight normally.

Clinical Decision:

Arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction of the left knee joint.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery performed through small incisions. The surgeon inserts a camera and instruments into the joint to examine and treat the injuries.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is performed to restore a torn ligament. Instead of the damaged ligament, a new one is implanted — usually using the patient’s own tendon (an autograft).

The new ligament is fixed inside the bone to fully restore knee stability.

This type of surgery helps the joint regain strength, stability, and normal function.