An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), one of the most important ligaments in the knee, can tear or rupture. The ACL is one of the four major ligaments that stabilize the knee joint. It prevents the tibia, or shin bone, from moving forward too much in relation to the femur, or thigh bone. This ligament is especially crucial for motions involving pivoting, abrupt stops, and direction changes.
An abrupt, violent twisting or hyperextension of the knee is frequently the cause of an ACL tear. Sports activities may cause this, particularly if they entail sudden stops, sudden direction changes, or jumping.
ACL Tears Symptoms and Signs
ACL tear symptoms and signs could include the following:
• Knocking Knees When they suffer an ACL injury, many people report feeling or hearing a “popping” in their knee.
• Knee Inflammation After an ACL injury, there is typically significant swelling within six hours, and the knee may continue to swell for several weeks before significantly decreasing.
• Knee Soreness and Pain Most people have to stop doing whatever they are doing after getting hurt. When they bear weight on the injured leg, they experience pain or tenderness in the joint area.
• ACL tears can also cause a person to lose their entire range of motion, experience discomfort when walking, and feel as though their knee is giving way or is unstable. It’s possible that you can resume your activities soon after the injury. But more often than not, you’re unable to carry on with your usual activities.
Causes and Risk Factors for ACL Tears
People who play high-impact sports like basketball, football, skiing, and soccer—which frequently require quick pivots and turns—are more likely to sustain an ACL injury.
Approximately 70% of ACL tears occur when the knee is not directly contacted. upward-pointing right arrow
In these situations, the tears usually occur when a person abruptly twists or cuts, changes direction while running, or hyperextends their knee landing a jump.
The remaining ACL tears are caused by direct contact with an object or possibly another player during a sporting activity. Getting struck directly in the knee during a football tackle is one instance.
- Being female (hormonal variations and variations in muscle strength may be important factors)
- Taking part in basketball, football, or soccer
- Engaging in gymnastics or skiing on a slope
- Inadequate training
- Using shabby and improperly fitted toys
- Wearing shoes that are too small
- Having fun on synthetic grass
How Can an ACL Tear Be Identified?
A doctor will examine your knee and compare the structures of the injured and uninjured knees in order to diagnose an ACL injury. Upward-pointing right arrow
This will usually enable your physician or orthopedist to diagnose the ligament injury.
Additional testing, such as the following, may be advised if swelling makes it difficult for a medical professional to diagnose a tear: right up arrow
Radiography X-rays can reveal whether the injury is related to a broken bone, but they cannot reveal an ACL injury.
Imaging with Magnetic Resonance (MRI) A complete tear can be precisely detected with an MRI scan, which also produces a clear image of the ACL and other ligaments and cartilage.
The outlook for ACL tears
The type, severity, and course of treatment of your injury are just a few of the many factors that affect the prognosis of an ACL tear.
Reconstruction surgery is usually required to fix the injury. upward-pointing right arrow Some people, especially those who don’t exercise much, may not find that their injury prevents them from going about their everyday lives as usual. Instead of surgery, they might opt for a strengthening program.
Without surgery, the prognosis for a partially torn ACL is frequently excellent, and the recuperation and rehabilitation phase will typically take at least three months. upward-pointing right arrow However, some people with partial ACL tears might continue to have instability problems after this healing phase.
The prognosis for complete ACL tears is worse without surgery. Some people cannot play sports that require pivoting because they have completely torn their ACL. For others, instability persists even when engaging in everyday activities like walking. upward-pointing right arrow
What happens if you have surgery?
More than 90% of people can resume their regular jobs and fitness routines without experiencing symptoms of knee instability, according to studies. upward-pointing right arrow
Rehabilitation following ACL reconstruction surgery typically results in the restoration of knee stability and function. You should be able to resume playing sports after surgery and physical therapy when your leg strength, balance, and coordination are almost back to normal.
Duration of ACL Tears
An ACL tear typically requires nine months to heal, though this varies from person to person.
Athletes may not be able to play for eight to twelve months or longer.
Options for Medication and Therapy for ACL Tears
Rehabilitation and surgery are two possible courses of treatment for an ACL tear.
Several factors will determine whether surgery is necessary to repair an anterior cruciate ligament tear, such as:
- Your level of activity and expectations regarding how active you want to be
- The type of work you do
- Whether or not cartilage, ligaments, and other parts of the knee are also injured.
Avoidance of ACL Tears
The following may lessen your chance of experiencing further tears in your ACL, even though some injuries are unavoidable:
- Strength training to build powerful hamstring and thigh muscles
- Continuing your leg stretching regimen
- Exercising vigorously before engaging in sports, and part of your warm-up should involve jogging backward.
- Acquiring the skill of landing flat-footed instead of on the balls of your feet
