What is ACL?

ACL is one of two ligaments that cross in the middle of the knee, connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia) and helps stabilize your knee join.

What is ACL injury?

An anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injury is a tear in one of the knee ligaments that joins the upper leg bone with the lower leg bone. The ACL keeps the knee stable. A tear may be partial or complete.

CAUSES:

 

• Get hit very hard on the side of your knee, such as during a football tackle
• Overextend your knee joint
• Quickly stop moving and change direction while running, landing from a jump, or turning
• Basketball, football, soccer, and skiing are common sports linked to ACL tears.

SYMPTOMS:

• A loud "pop" or a "popping" sensation in the knee
• Severe pain and inability to continue activity
• Swelling that begins within a few hours
• Loss of range of motion
• A feeling of instability or "giving way" with weight bearin

First Aid:

REST. General rest is necessary for healing and limits weight bearing on your knee.

ICE. When you're awake, try to ice your knee at least every two hours for 20 minutes at a time.

COMPRESSION. Wrap an elastic bandage or compression wrap around your knee.

ELEVATION. Lie down with your knee propped up on pillowsYou also may need.

• Crutches to walk until the swelling and pain get better
• Physical therapy to help improve joint motion and leg strength
• Surgery to rebuild the ACL

DO NOT

• Do NOT move your knee if you have had a serious injury.
• Use a splint to keep the knee straight until you see a doctor.
• Do NOT return to play or other activities until you have been treated.

Diagnosis:

X-rays : Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. This study creates better images of soft tissues like the anterior cruciate ligament.

TREATMENT:

NONSURGICAL :

• Bracing:  A brace to protect your knee from instability
• Physical therapy: Rehabilitation programme to restore function to your knee and strengthen the leg muscles that support it.

SURGICAL:

Surgery is done with an arthroscope using small incisions. Arthroscopic surgery is less invasive. The benefits of less invasive techniques include less pain from surgery, less time spent in the hospital, and quicker recovery times.

The anterior cruciate ligament can be reconstructed by a variety of techniques, depending on the type of tear and what other injuries may be associated. The decision as to what surgical option is appropriate is individualized and tailored to a patient's specific situation. The torn ACL ends are not usually sewn together and instead, a graft is used to replace the ACL. Often an autograft, tissue taken from the patient's own body, is a piece of hamstring or patellar tendon that is used to reconstruct the ACL.

REHABILITATION:

Physical therapy and exercise program is often suggested to strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings before surgery. It may take six to nine months to return to full activity after surgery to reconstruct an ACL injury.

RECOVERY:

The first three weeks concentrate on gradually increasing knee range of motion in a controlled way. The new ligament needs time to heal and care is taken not to rip the graft. The goal is to have the knee capable of being fully extended and flexing to 90 degrees.

• By week six, the knee should have full range of motion and a stationary bicycle or stair-climber can be used to maintain range of motion and begin strengthening exercises of the surrounding muscles.
• The next four to six months is used to restore knee function to what it was before the injury. Strength, agility, and the ability to recognize the position of the knee are increased under the guidance of the physical therapist and surgeon. There is a balance between exercising too hard and not doing enough to rehabilitate the knee and the team approach of patient and therapist is useful.