ACL
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The knee joint is made up of three bones and four main ligaments. The knee is formed by the femur (the thigh bone), the tibia (the shin bone), and the patella (the kneecap).Two ligaments on either side of the knee, called the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, stabilize the knee from side-to-side. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of ligaments in the center of the knee joint that form a cross, and this is where the name “cruciate” comes from. There is both an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Both of these ligaments function to stabilize the knee from front-to-back during normal and athletic activities. There are also two shock absorbers in your knee on either side of the joint between the cartilage surfaces of the femur and the tibia. These two structures are called the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus.
ACL tear usually happens when changing direction quickly in sports like soccer, landing from a jump in sports such as basketball, or falling while skiing. Other than sports the common causes of ACL injury is fall of two wheelers in road traffic accident, dashboard injury, sudden twisting to knee by putting foot on uneven ground or even falling from stairs. People sometimes can feel a pop after acl tear and is commonly associated with sudden give away of knee joint and bad pain . Knee joint swells up either immediately or after few hours.
First line treatment for ACL injury is splint with brace, ice pack and pain killers. Weight bearing should be allowed as tolerated and followed with immediate consultation with specialist.
On visiting advance orthopedics and sports injury clinic doctor will take a detailed history describing the nature of injury and then u will go through a detailed examination of knee. You can be asked to take a few radiological tests in form of x rays and MRI. After reviewing your reports doctor will explain you in detail the nature of your injury and treatment options best suited for you depending on your age, lifestyle and level of physical activity.
Acl injury can be treated either
- Conservatively
- Operatively
Conservative management is best suited for individuals of old age and sedentary lifestyle. In this treatment patient is warned about not involving in running, jumping, cutting and other athletic activities. Operative management with arthroscopic reconstruction of ACL is the modality of choice in adolescent and adults with active life style.