Local surgeon Dr. Steven Riley was one of the first 25 doctors in the nation to perform a new Anterior Cruciate Ligament procedure.

The surgery used to take eight hours, but Riley said the new less invasive procedure takes an hour at most.

The procedure is arthroscopic, which means through two small knee incisions the doctor takes a hamstring graft and replaces the torn ligament. The procedure is less invasive, but Riley said recovery time is about the same.

The ACL is the main support structure of the knee that prevents rotation of the thighbone on the shinbone.

Riley said he sees a lot of local athletes come through his office due to sports injuries - he said the procedure is essential for the athletes if they ever want to play again.

Riley said he's been doing the surgery for 18 months, and it has since been adopted by a lot of surgeons.

"I've done at least 75 surgeries since we adopted the procedure," Riley said.