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Did you know...While sports-related injuries have not seen an increase in recent years, injuries to the ACL continue to increase significantly, particularly in female athletes.
Causes
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. It can be injured if the knee joint is bent backwards, twisted, or bent to the side.
An ACL injury often occurs during sports, and can happen when the foot is firmly planted on the ground, and a sudden force hits the knee while the leg is straight or slightly bent. It can also happen when changing direction rapidly, slowing down while running, or landing from a jump.
Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Feeling or hearing a pop in the knee at the time of injury
- Sudden instability in the knee
- Pain on the outside and back of the knee
- Knee swelling within the first few hours of the injury
- Limited knee movement because of swelling and/or pain
Treatment
Initial treatment of an acute ACL injury includes stabilizing the knee and reducing swelling and pain.
Later treatment may include several months of rehabilitation or surgery with rehabilitation. However, not all ACL tears require surgery.
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