What is a ACL Injury?

Injuries to the ligaments of the knee are commonly seen in both sporting environments and during everyday life. Arguably the most important and well-known ligament found in the knee is the anterior cruciate ligament, which is a thick band of connective tissue that attaches the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). The anterior cruciate ligament acts with other ligaments, muscles, and cartilage to ensure the stability of the knee joint.

The ACL stops excess forward and rotational movement between these two bones during activities such as running, jumping and changing direction. For this reason, injuries to the ACL are commonly seen in sports that involve pivoting, acceleration and change of direction, such as football, netball and basketball.

The vast majority of ACL injuries (70%) are classified as “non-contact” injuries, and usually occur as an athlete jumps, lands or changes direction. The most common mechanism of injury seen with ACL injuries involves a pivoting motion, while the knee is slightly flexed, and the foot is planted firmly on the ground.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of a ACL Injury?

+ Pain & swelling (regular, but dependant on the level of injury, as stated above)

+ Tenderness around the knee joint

+ Loss of function or movement at the knee joint

+ Instability of the knee joint (the feeling of the knee giving way underneath your body weight)

What is the treatment of ACL Injury

Surgical: A surgical approach is historically considered important if you wish to return to playing sports that involve jumping and changing direction at speed, but involves a 9-12 month period of intensive rehabilitation. A piece of hamstring or patella tendon is used to replace the ACL within your injured knee.

Conservative: Conservative or non-surgical rehabilitation is a treatment pathway that has gained more support in recent years and has good supporting evidence in a large number of cases. The time taken to rehabilitate such an injury is slightly shorter in comparison to surgery, as there is no hamstring or patella graft to protect, but potential reoccurrences of knee instability mean that this approach will not be the answer to everybody’s problems. A good Orthopaedic Surgeon and Physiotherapist working collaboratively can help in making the correct decision regarding surgical or non-surgical.