Is a torn anterior cruciate ligament serious?
Is a torn anterior cruciate ligament serious?
Your treatment plan depends on how severe your ACL tear or sprain is. Minor tears or sprains may heal with non-surgical treatment such as physiotherapy. More severe or complete tears will most likely need surgery to repair. Your doctor or orthopaedic surgeon will be able to advise the best treatment for you.
How long does anterior cruciate ligament injury take to heal?
There are surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Most people recover from an ACL tear within six to nine months.
When is the anterior cruciate ligament most often injured?
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the key ligaments that help stabilize your knee joint. The ACL connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia). It’s most commonly torn during sports that involve sudden stops and changes in direction — such as basketball, soccer, tennis and volleyball.
What are the long term effects of a torn ACL?
Rupture of the knee’s ACL is a common sports-related injury. It is associated with other knee problems, such as meniscal tears and knee instability. Over the long term, it can lead to knee osteoarthritis.
How do you tell if ACL is torn or sprained?
Signs and symptoms of an ACL injury usually include:
- A loud “popping” in the knee.
- Severe pain.
- Rapid swelling.
- Loss of range of motion.
- Knee instability where the knee feels like it will buckle and cannot support the weight.
What causes anterior cruciate ligament injury?
An ACL injury often occurs during sports. The injury can happen when your foot is firmly planted on the ground and a sudden force hits your knee while your leg is straight or slightly bent. This can happen when you are changing direction rapidly, slowing down when running, or landing from a jump.
Can you live an active life without an ACL?
Without an ACL, the knee is unlikely to support aggressive landing, cutting and pivoting. Living with a torn ACL may mean limiting participation in sports, work and activities that cause the knee to swell, give way or feel unstable. Risk of other injuries.
Can you fully recover from ACL tear without surgery?
Very minor tears (sprains) may heal with non-surgical treatments and regenerative medicine therapy. But full ACL tears cannot be healed without surgery. If your activities do not involve making pivoting movements on the knee, physical therapy rehabilitation may be all you need.
Where do you feel pain with an ACL tear?
You will likely feel pain in the center of your knee during an ACL tear. Because the MCL is located on the side of your knee, the pain and swelling will be located on the inside of the knee structure rather than the middle.
Can anterior cruciate ligament repair itself?
The ACL cannot heal on its own because there is no blood supply to this ligament. Surgery is usually required for athletes because the ACL is needed in order to safely perform the sharp movements that are required in sports.
What happens if you don’t repair a torn ACL?
If nothing is done, the ACL injury may turn into chronic ACL deficiency. Your knee may become more and more unstable and may give out more often. The abnormal sliding within the knee also can hurt cartilage. It can trap and damage the menisci in the knee and can also lead to early osteoarthritis.
Where does ACL tear hurt?
