Read more about recovering from ACL reconstructive surgery. These bones are connected by 4 ligaments — 2 collateral ligaments on the sides of the knee and 2 cruciate ligaments inside the knee. Ligaments are tough bands of connective tissue. The ligaments in the knee hold the bones together and help keep the knee stable. Page last reviewed: 14 June Next review due: 14 June The ACL is a tough band of tissue joining the thigh bone to the shin bone at the knee joint.
ACL injuries Knee injuries can occur during sports such as skiing, tennis, squash, football and rugby. Common causes of an ACL injury include: landing incorrectly from a jump stopping suddenly changing direction suddenly having a collision, such as during a football tackle If the ACL is torn, your knee may become very unstable and lose its full range of movement. Deciding to have surgery The decision to have knee surgery will depend on the extent of damage to your ACL and whether it's affecting your quality of life.
But it's important to be aware that delaying surgery could cause further damage to your knee. Before having surgery Before having ACL surgery, you may need to wait for any swelling to go down and for the full range of movement to return to your knee. A mild injury may stretch the ligament but leave it intact. There are a number of factors that increase your risk of an ACL injury, including:. People who experience an ACL injury have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee.
Arthritis may occur even if you have surgery to reconstruct the ligament. Multiple factors likely influence the risk of arthritis, such as the severity of the original injury, the presence of related injuries in the knee joint or the level of activity after treatment.
Proper training and exercise can help reduce the risk of ACL injury. A sports medicine physician, physical therapist, athletic trainer or other specialist in sports medicine can provide assessment, instruction and feedback that can help you reduce risks. Training to strengthen muscles of the legs, hips and core — as well as training to improve jumping and landing techniques and to prevent inward movement of the knee — may help to reduce the higher ACL injury risk in female athletes.
Wear footwear and padding that is appropriate for your sport to help prevent injury. If you downhill ski, make sure your ski bindings are adjusted correctly by a trained professional so that your skis will release appropriately if you fall. Wearing a knee brace doesn't appear to prevent ACL injury or reduce the risk of recurring injury after surgery. Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced.
See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients. Jesse Stewart with Bruce DeGrote Jesse Stewart couldn't understand why the seven orthopedic surgeries he'd had for pain in one knee and both hips hadn't done anything to improve his quality of life. After coming to Mayo Clinic, however, Jesse found the answer to that question, and he finally received surgery that fixed the problems. Surgery Your surgeon will advise you if you need surgery; for example, if your knee is unstable and gives way when you play sport or sometimes, just walk.
For instance, you: play sports that include a lot of twisting and turning — such as football or basketball, to a high level — and you want to get back to it have a very physical or manual job, for example you're in the military, a firefighter, police officer or work in construction You may prefer to give rehabilitation with physiotherapy a try first before you have an operation.
Frequently asked questions Expand all. You may also have an X-ray and MRI scan. Did our information help you? Complete the survey. About our health information At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. Related information. Posterior cruciate ligament PCL injury. Read more. Lateral collateral ligament LCL injury.
Medial collateral ligament MCL injury. Meniscal tear. Patellar tendinopathy jumper's knee. Patellofemoral pain syndrome. Expand all. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy www. Acute knee injuries. McGraw-Hill Medical. BMJ Best Practice. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Or, if you want to develop new talents besides playing sports, this is a good time to explore a new hobby like playing the guitar, painting, or drawing.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament? Most ACL tears happen during athletic activity.
For example when someone: changes direction or twists the knee while running jumps and lands in a way that twists the knee The ACL also can tear if the knee is hit forcefully from the side. Right after the injury, an ACL tear is treated with: RICE: R est, I ce, C ompression with an elastic bandage , and E levation raising the knee over-the-counter pain medicine such as acetaminophen Tylenol or store brand or ibuprofen Advil, Motrin, or store brand Most partial tears can be treated with bracing and physical therapy PT.
Some complete ACL tears need surgery. The need for surgery depends on many things, including: the type of the activities or sports the person wants to do if the person is an athlete age other injuries to the knee if the knee "gives way" or feels unstable What Happens During Surgery for a Torn ACL? Physical therapy is important to help the knee heal. What Should I Do?
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