In the 2009 regular NFL season, New England Patriots wide receiver, Wes Walker, was having one of his finest seasons. In his last game of the regular season, Walker went down after catching a pass from Tom Brady and attempting to juke the defender in front of him. Wes planted his leg on the turf and it looked as though his foot got caught underneath him with his knee bent, nearly touching the field. Walker had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on that play. The wide receiver suffered a season ending injury while he was leading the league with 123 catches (Marx 17). Although some factors put more people at risk of tearing their ACL, this can really happen to anyone. Even though the tear can affect the person physically and mentally, …show more content…
Overall it is an important ligament in the knee and it is assisted by the muscles surrounding it which helps with stabilization during lower extremity movements. The reality is that sometimes the ACL can’t endure certain movements in the knee and the ligament can be torn (School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman 's University). The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine found that there are about 150,000 cases of ACL tear injuries that occur in the United States each year. These injuries can occur for many reasons, but there are some factors that can put someone more at risk of tearing their ACL. The two different types of risk factors are external and internal. An example of an external factor would be the play in which the athlete injured themselves. An internal factor would be the anatomy of the woman compared to the male (American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine). ACL tears can occur in non-contact situations. Cutting and pivoting in certain sports can increase the risk of a tear. About 70 percent of the injuries actually occur in a non-contact situation. This can happen because the athlete has put the knee in an at-risk position. Robert Marx, the author of the book “The ACL Solution: Prevention and Recovery for Sports Most Devastating Knee Injury,” explains this at-risk positon as the athlete has their leg fairly straight while the foot remains planted on the ground and the knee twisted inward. This is
An injury to the ACL is classified as a sprain. A sprain is a joint injury that causes a stretch or a tear in a ligament. Sprains are graded I, II, or III depending on how severe the injury is. A grade I sprain will have pain with minimal damage to the ligaments. A grade II sprain is going to have more ligament damage and mild looseness of the joint. Finally, in a grade III sprain, the ligament is completely torn and the joint is very loose or unstable. A grade III sprain, simply called an ACL tear, is most often a sports-related injury. Still, The ACL can be torn in other instances such as during rough play, vehicular collisions, falls, and work –related injuries. According to a study performed by Jonathan Cluett, M.D., about 80% of sports-related ACL tears are “non-contact” injuries. This means that the injury does not result from any contact with another athlete. A rupture to the ACL is the result of the ligament within the knee being overstretched. This is usually caused by a “plant-pivot” mechanism (a stop and twist motion) of the knee, or a blunt force to the front of the knee. Other factors include quick changes of motion, twisting or torquing, or landing from a jump. Hyperextension is most
Abby describes when athletes typically tear their ACL they are rolling around screaming, unable to walk off. This was not the case for her, however something was wrong so she went to an orthopedic doctor. Due to her stability the doctor did not order an MRI and assumed it was a strained PCL.
ACLs are one of the easiest injuries to get for athletes and average people alike, and a lot of people don't know what the ACL is or how to treat it until they tear it.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee joint that connect it to the shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur). It 's located deep within the joint, behind the kneecap (patella), above the shinbone, and below the thighbone. The ACL lies diagonally across the middle of the knee and plays a role in keeping the knee stable during movement. Partial tears of the ACL can occur, but are rare. Most ACL tears are either near-completes or complete tears. After experiencing an ACL tear, an athlete has a 15 times
An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the overstretching or tearing of the in the knee. This muscle is located just below the knee bone and the tear that occurs may be partial or complete. When you hear your ACL pop that’s a clear sign of a tear. Lots of people have surgery to get it repaired. It is about a year recovery of rehab. Many times when you tear your ACL, there’s no
Each year, approximately a quarter of a million physically active young people experience an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and seventy percent of these ACL injuries will be sustained while engaging in non-contact activities such as sudden deceleration while landing (Begalle et al., 2012). This type of injury is grossly detrimental not only on the occasion in which it occurs but also for the subsequent years to come. The majority of individuals who injure their ACL also go on to either, re-injure that same ACL, or injure the opposite knee. Furthermore, our bodies are put in tremendously vulnerable planes of motion during sporting events, especially during activities such as, basketball, football, or soccer. In this day
The foremost cruciate ligament (ACL) gives security and quality to the knee by averting front interpretation of the tibia under the femur and inordinate pivot through the knee it essentially keeps the knee from turning the distance around. The ACL is harmed amid running ball games, skiing, or bouncing game, so this is discovered more in more youthful grown-ups. It is frequently joined by damage to the average security ligament (MCL) and the average meniscus and that is known as a blown knee when you tear every one of the three. These mix wounds are connected with a higher commonness of radiographic osteoarthritis at 10-15 years, yet these patients demonstrate no distinctions in capacity contrasted with those with an detached ACL damage. The patient with an ACL break usually report a sudden sharp torment and precariousness amid rotating or a fast alter of course, or on effect, for example, a fall or handle. They additionally have heard or felt a thump as the joint separates or a snap of the muscle. On the off chance that there is intra articular muscle harm, the patient will report swelling (because of haemarthrosis). They might likewise give lost extent or development because of the torment and a sentiment unsteadiness on the weight bearing knee. The GP will watch, inspect the knee, screen and upgrade on swelling and emission. The foremost drawer tests the adaptability of the front ligament, Lachman test and the turn shift test are most normally used to test the strength of the knee joint. The level of crack or vicinity of different wounds can be affirmed by X-ray. Different ways while inspecting the patient in the event that they give atypically or abnormal amounts of torment are bone wound, microfractures, post-corner harm and tibial level breaks. All patients with suspected ACL wounds ought to see a physiotherapist inside of the initial two
If you’re an athlete then you should know what an “ACL tear” is. ACL means “Anterior Cruciate Ligament.” Believe it or not, those tears often happen to pre-teens. ACL tears can be really bad, but it depends on how bad you tear it.
Dr. Boden of the Orthopedic Center in Rockville states, “Young women are two to eight times more likely than their male counterparts to injure their ACL.” Although there are some factors that put others at a higher risk of tearing their ACL, like this gender one, ACL tears are common and can happen
The ACL is one of the most frequently uinjured ligaments of the knee.( 59 )
There have been higher incidences of serious knee injuries among female sports, especially those that include jumping and pivoting. In particular, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates are more commonly found in female sports. Previous research has shown ACL injuries are primarily due to noncontact mechanisms that include sudden deceleration, landing, and pivoting maneuvers (Mihata, Beutler, & Boden, 2006; Yu & Garrett, 2007). High-risk sports such as basketball and soccer expose athletes to these potential injuring forces. Despite the many similarities between male and female sports, females often have a higher rate of ACL injures (Mihata et al., 2006).
An ACL tear is among the most common knee injury reported. This injury involves a breakage of the fibers making up the ACL. Sometimes, the entire Anterior Cruciate Ligament is torn; whereas, other times it is just partially torn.
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
ACL tears are the most common type of knee injuries seen in athletes. The ACL is viewed as the most important ligament in the entire knee. To elaborate, it helps provide stability throughout the entire leg. Although the majority of these injuries result from contact sports, such as football, some result from non contact sports, such as tennis, as well. This injury can result from overstretching the anterior ligament or completely tearing it (Brown University, n.d.). According to Brown University (n.d.) in a study by the National Football League, 100% of football players suffering from ACL injuries, through a five year span, required some sort of surgery. In contrary, an ACL injury recovery time can be more accurately determined in comparison to concussions. In most instances an athlete’s recovery time can vary from six to nine months. Though knee injuries have more
The evidence supports surgical management as the treatment of choice for those who want to return to high-level physical activity after ACL rupture however, when individuals may want to attempt to return to physically demanding activities, at least temporarily, without undergoing surgery. Non-operative management would benefit them, Examples may include the athlete who has exhausted eligibility or who needs to compete to demonstrate worthiness for athletic scholarships or an all-star team or seasonal laborers who regularly subject the knees to climbing, lifting, and working on uneven surfaces and would like to postpone surgery until the busy work season is completed. (Fitzgerald, Axe, & Snyder-Mackler,