ACL Injuries (Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries)

1. ACL Injuries(Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries) Julia Kudryashova

2. ACL injuries • One of the most common knee injuries is an anterior cruciate ligament sprain or tear • Athletes who participate in sports like soccer, football, and basketball are more likely to injure their ACL (because of the required twisting motion of their knee) • Injuring your ACL will most likely require surgery to regain full function in your knee • Most ACL injuries are complete or near complete tear, partial tears are rare

3. Anatomy of the knee • Bones are connected to other bones by ligaments • 4 primary ligaments: Collateral Ligaments • These are found on the sides of your knee. They control the sideways motion of your knee and brace it against unusual movement. Cruciate Ligaments • These are found inside your knee joint. The cruciate ligaments control the back and forth motion of your knee.

4. Causes • The anterior cruciate ligament can be injured in several ways: • Changing direction rapidly • Stopping suddenly • Slowing down while running • Landing from a jump incorrectly • Direct contact or collision, such as a football tackle

5. Symptoms • When an athlete injures their anterior cruciate ligament they will hear a popping noise and feel their knee give out Other symptoms include: • Pain with swelling • Loss of full range of motion • Tenderness along the joint line • Discomfort while walking

6. Nonsurgical Treatment • A torn ACL will not heal without surgery. • Nonsurgical treatment may be effective for patients who are elderly or have a very low activity level • Bracing. Your doctor may recommend a brace to protect your knee from instability. To further protect your knee, you may be given crutches to keep you from putting weight on your leg. • Physical therapy. As the swelling goes down, a careful rehabilitation program is started. Specific exercises will restore function to your knee and strengthen the leg muscles that support it.

7. Surgical Treatment • Rebuilding the ligament: • Most ACL injuries cannot be stitched back together • The ligament must be reconstructed with a tissue graft • Grafts can be taken from the patellar tendon • It may be six or months before an athlete can return to sports

8. Procedure • Surgery to rebuild the ACL is done with an arthroscope using small incisions • Arthroscope surgery is less invasive , which leads to less time spent at the hospital and quicker recovery times • ACL reconstruction is usually not done right away • This delay gives the inflammation a chance to resolve

9. Rehabilitation • A physical therapy program is essential in a successful ACL recovery • Physical therapy first focuses on returning motion to the joint and surrounding muscles • This is followed by a strengthening program designed to protect the new ligament • This strengthening gradually increases the stress across the ligament

10. Women at higher risk • Studies have shown that female athletes have a higher incidence of ACL injury than males • This is due to differences in physical conditioning, muscular strength and neuromuscular control Factors why women are at a higher risk: • Women have a straighter hip and have slightly more deviation of the knee joint outward • Women’s muscle tissue is more flexible than men’s tissue- this causes higher ACL tears • There is a significant difference between quadriceps and hamstring strength in male and female athletes