Final Reflection :-Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

This article is about the fast growing technique of endurance running, which has evolved over the years significantly. Although it may seem like a bit trendy and popular, this particular type of running has its pros and cons. Due to the fact that endurance running includes a various amount of repetitive ground impact forces, it is not unlikely for one to develop a stress injury to the lower leg. In order to decrease the risk that comes along with endurance running, preventative measures should be enforced. When running some of the most common injuries that one may be at risk for are patellofemoral pain syndrome, tibial stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis. But in this article, a new study suggests that Barefoot running contains the potential to promote the healing process, increase performance, and decrease injury rates. Still to this day disagreement exists as to whether barefoot/minimalist running stimulates healing, increases performance and decreases injury rates.

The anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly known as ACL, is the most common knee ligament injury. An ACL injury mainly affects athletes or those participating in athletic activities. Over the years, sports have become more popular which has led to an increase in ACL injuries. This increase led orthopedic surgeons to create many operations over the past fifteen years that reconstruct this ligament.

With an ever increasing number of people becoming involved with athletic activities, there is an increasing number of injuries occurring which can be devastating for the individual. Most of the injuries that affect athletes occur in one of four structures in the human body: bones, muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Because ligaments attach bone to bone and play a major part in providing stability for joints, the major stabilizing ligament in the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), assists in performing everyday actions of the human body including sitting, standing, walking, running, dancing, and participating in other sports. The injury that specifically affects this ligament is very serious and always

A torn ACL is a injury in which also is a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. When someone tears their ACL they have to have a surgery to replace it. ACL injuries range from mild, such as a small tear, to severe such as when the ligament tears completely or when the ligament and part of the bone separate from the rest of the bone. A lot of the time some of the other knee ligaments or parts of the knee are also injured. This includes cartilage such as the menisci, or bones in the knee joint they also can be broken. Your ACL can be broken during sport activities. During an activity if your leg is planted firmly on the ground then hit by a heavy/large force it could tear the ACL. Some ways your ACL can be tore is by being bent backwards,

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament also known as the ACL is deemed the most commonly torn ligament in the knee and can result from both contact and noncontact injuries. Most Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries result from an extreme force on the lateral side of the person’s knee causing a valgus force which pushes the knee inward (Kisner & Colby, 2012, pp. 802-803). This injury to the side of the knee can also cause a “Terrible Triad” injury which also injures both the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament (Kisner & Colby, 2012, p. 803). Our textbook further states that “the most common noncontact mechanism is a rotational mechanism in which the tibia is externally rotated on the planted foot….this mechanism can account for as many as 78% of all ACL injuries” (Kisner & Colby, 2012, p. 803). If the person does not seek medical help with this injury they are susceptible to also injuring the remaining support ligaments as well. Patients usually present with joint effusion; possibly 25 degrees of flexion, joint swelling if blood vessels are involved, limited ROM, stress pain and instability along with quads avoidance gait patterns (Kisner & Colby, 2011, p. 208)

Anterior cruciate ligament injury is a common injury, especially among athletes. There are several factors that contribute to the likelihood of ACL rupture. These factors can be genetic, environmental, structural, and behavioral. Reconstruction is the best option for those wishing to be able to participate in physical activity again. The autograft, a graft taken from the individual, is the most common choice. The graft can be taken from the patellar bone or the hamstring tendon. Each graft has distinct advantages and disadvantages. ACLR also has physical effects including knee pain, decrease in athletic ability at high intensity levels, and osteoarthritis.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -injury is arguably the most common serious knee injury related to sports participation. Approximately 5000 individuals suffer an ACL injury in Sweden every year (Lohmander 2007). Individuals with a history of injury to their anterior cruciate ligament or menisci were shown to develop knee OA 10 to 20 years post injury (Lohmander, 2007).

The anterior cruciate ligament of the knee can be injured in several ways. According to the Physical Therapist’s Guide to ACL Tear, by MoveForwardPT , the ACL “can tear if you: twist your knee while keeping your foot planted on the ground, stop suddenly while running, suddenly shift your weight from one leg to the other, jump and land on an extended knee, stretch the knee farther than you should, or experience a direct hit to the knee” (Bise, 2011). As you can see, the anterior cruciate ligament can be injured by direct or indirect contact, and in combination with the extended recovery time, it becomes a structure that needs to be protected.

The most common ligamentous injury to the knee is injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) (Teske 2010), and it is the second most common injury in the lower extremity. It has become so common of an injury that 1 in 3000 individuals in the United States will be affected with an ACL tear (Micheo 2010) and there are 200,000 new cases per year (Wilk 2012). It is most commonly seen in people 15-30 years of age (Teske 2010). It is also more common in females than males (Fayad 2003, Teske 2010, Bowerman 2006). This is due to increased joint laxity in post-pubescent females compared to post-pubescent males (Bowerman 2006) and differences in muscle activation. Males tend to have a more balanced quadriceps to hamstrings ratio

Every year, just in the United States, there are about 200,000 ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries occur. About one in every 3500 people in the united states alone has had or has an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. ACL injuries happen in both genders. But which gender actually has a higher chance of injuring there ACL? I believe that guys are less susceptible to these injuries; making the girls more susceptible. I think this because females were made different and function differently from males.

Since my knee had not recovered within a few days, I was referred to a sports medicine doctor by the school’s trainer. By the end of my first appointment, he concluded that my knee was not sprained, but my lateral meniscus had been torn. While this was an uncomplicated, simple repair, he stated that I would still be unable to play sports for a few weeks. Disappointed, my mother and I scheduled my next appointment; the next visit held multiple x-rays, tests, and examinations of my injury. About two weeks later, the doctor discovered that there were more issues than just a torn meniscus; in addition, my anterior cruciate ligament, the main knee tendon, had ruptured into several pieces. Fighting back tears, I thought my life and athletic career

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of four ligaments to connect the thigh bone to the shin bone. The ACL stabilize the knee, controls excessive movement, and limits joint mobility. The ACL is primarily for the forward motion when walking, running, and jumping. Without the ACL the thighbone would constantly dislocate from the shin bone.

All high school I have seen this injury happen to several athletes affecting their performance. Usually from what I have noticed this disability, although temporary, can ruin an athlete’s opportunity to continue in the sport thus making them lose several opportunities. The disability I am speaking of is an ACL tear. “A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common knee injury, especially for athletes. Ligaments are long, rope-like bands that fasten bones together. The ACL’s role is that it helps give the knee its stability. This injury usually occurs through movements such as pivoting, stopping, or turning on a dime. People also can also receive this injury if they jump up and when they are on their way down their knee is locked instead of flexed. This puts pressure on the knee joint and causes the ACL to tear or break apart”(Jr. A.). ACL injuries are quite often in sports I was privileged to interview someone who has experienced it on a

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are the most common of knee injuries especially occurring during sports related activity. These types of injuries may lead to short-term disability and as well as possible long-term complications. It is estimated that 80,000 to 100,000 ACL reconstructions are performed every year and a significant percentage of those surgeries are performed on female athletes. Female athletes experience ACL injuries about two or three times more often than men due to how the female body matures and her strength, or lack thereof. Because of the wear on a healthy ACL, the ACL might not last an entire athletic career especially in women. Some of the risk factors are unavoidable, such as hormone changes and gender, but the neuromuscular and biomechanical factors are controllable. If a female athlete can be properly strength trained and takes the necessary precautions, like stretching for flexibility and core training for muscle control and balance, she can greatly reduce the risk of injuring her ACL. If she does not take the necessary precautions and does tear her ACL, surgery is required to replace the torn ACL and rehabilitation of that ligament is necessary before returning to sports (Hewett et al., 2012; Siegel et al., 2012). Despite the advances in surgery, the long-term

A torn ACL is one of the most serious and common knee injuries. Many aspects play a role in the treatment and rehabilitation of this injury. This paper will discuss the anatomy of the knee, describe a torn ACL, and the rehabilitation.