ACL tears and other knee ligament injuries in Asheboro NC, and nationwide, have almost tripled in the past decade. And why? Perhaps people are living more active lives these days, exercising more, playing more organized sports, spending more time outdoors. Perhaps more of those same people who have been living more active lives all along are now getting older, with weakened knee joints that are susceptible to twisting or overextension. Most ACL tears tend to happen in people older than 40.
What is the ACL?
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is the major stabilizing force in your knee. The ligament is a broad, thick cord about the size of your index finger and its long collagen strands weave together to sustain forces of up to 500 pounds. This ligament extends from the back of yourthigh bone to the top of your shin bone, and when there is an ACL tear, the joint loses its stability. The ACL begins to unravel, and the entire joint is compromised. Destruction of knee cartilage is certain to occur. ACL surgery can eliminate further damage to your knee.
What causes an ACL tear?
An ACL tear often happens during sports and is quite common in basketball, soccer, skiing, football, and other sports with lots of weaving, jumping, and stop-and-go movements.Your ACL can be injured if you fall on your knee joint,or the joint is hit, bent side to side or backward, or is twisted. Sudden stops or jerky movement also can cause damage to the ACL joint. The chance of injury to the ACL is increased when more than one of these damaging movements occurs at once. Falling off a ladder and walking on uneven ground are also likely causes. ACL tears reportedly happen more often in women athletes than in male athletes, suggesting to some orthopedists that women are more anatomically prone to ACL injury because they have wider hips and weaker hamstrings, putting more pressure on their knee joints.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of an acute ACL tear include: Knee feels unstable, buckles; pain on the outside and back of the knee; feeling or hearing a pop at the time of injury; knee swells within the first few hours of the injury. Swelling that occurs suddenly is usually a sign of a serious knee injury; limited knee movement because of pain or swelling or both; pain will likely stop you from your activity, but you may still be able to walk.
ACL strains and sprains are relatively minor and simple to treat, but with an ACL tear, early ACL surgery usually leads to the best outcome. ACL surgery is one of the most common knee operations performed by orthopedic surgeons today.
Treatment for ACL tear
Minor ACL tears, caused by ACL strains and sprains, can sometimes respond well to non-surgical treatment which includes ice, compression, and elevation, plus a brace to protect the knee, crutches, and pain relievers. However, often ACLsurgery is required. The ACL is crucial for maintaining joint stability, but when it is torn, the ACL unravels like a braided rope. Because it has a relatively poor blood supply, the ACL does not have the ability to heal on its own. Complete ruptures of the ligament produce bleeding into the knee, causing swelling in the joint. ACL reconstruction is the type of ACL surgery that is most often performed to repair an ACL tear.
What is anatomic ACL reconstruction?
ACL surgery is a common treatment for an ACL tear. Anatomic ACL reconstruction surgery is an advanced innovative procedure using your own ligament tissue taken from another part of your body, such as your hamstring. Using this natural material and placing it in exactly the same position as your original, your ACL reconstruction will heal better, function more naturally, do a better job stabilizing your knee, and help decrease your risk of further knee injury. Dr. Jeffrey Yaste is qualified and experienced in this exciting new procedure.
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