Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament can be a debilitating musculoskeletal injury to the knee, seen most often in athletes. Non-contact tears and ruptures are the most common causes of ACL injury. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament for proper movement. ACL injury more commonly causes knee instability than does injury to other knee ligaments. Injuries of the ACL range from mild such as small tears to severe when the ligament is completely torn. There are many ways the ACL can be torn; the most prevalent is when the knee is bent too much toward the back and when it goes too far to the side. Tears in the anterior cruciate ligament often take place when the knee receives a direct impact from the front of the thigh while the leg is in a stable position, for example a standing football player is tackled sideways when his feet are firmly planted. Torn ACLs are most often related to high impact sports or when the knee is forced to make sharp changes in movement and during abrupt stops from high speed. These types of injuries are prevalent in alpine skiing, American football, Australian rules football, basketball, rugby, martial arts, artistic gymnastics, Ultimate (sport), and association football. Research has shown that women involved in sports are more likely to have ACL injuries than men. ACL tears can also happen in older individuals through slips and falls and are seen mostly in people over 40 due to wear and tear of the ligaments. An ACL tear can diagnosed by a popping sound heard after impact, swelling after a couple of hours, severe pain when bending the knee, and when the knee buckles or locks during movement or gives way while standing still with weight on the affected knee.