The ACL is a ligament that prevents the shin bone from sliding in front of the thigh bone. It also provides rotational stability to the knee.
ACL injuries commonly occur during exercise or sports most often during Non-contact events. The classic ACL injury occurs when decelerating, stopping suddenly, twisting or jumping. People often hear or feel a “pop” at the moment of injury sometimes experiencing brief hyperextension of the knee joint. Sometimes you can injure your ACL when you get hit hard on the side of your knee.
Patients with ACL tears often experienced immediate swelling, feeling of instability or “giving way” especially when pivoting or turning.
To detect an ACL injury we examine the knee for range of motion, stability and ligament integrity. X-rays May be used to check injuries to bone. MRI scan is helpful with assessing the injury’s severity and in detecting associated problems such as meniscal tear or articular cartilage damage.
Most ACL tears are treated with reconstructive surgery since a torn ACL cannot heal by itself. Without ACL reconstructive surgery, the knee joint may degenerate further causing damage to the articular cartilage and meniscus.
Surgical ACL reconstruction is performed by Arthroscopic or Minimally Invasive procedure thru small incisions at the sides of the knee. The ACL is reconstructed using tendon autograft like Hamstring, Bone patellar tendon bone graft or Quadriceps tendon. Return to sports is guided after 10-12 months of physical therapy.
If you suspect that you may have an ACL tear, it is important to consult with our Sports Medicine Orthopedic specialists for proper evaluation and management.