Orthopedic surgeons in Asheboro NC commonly treat ACL tear, an injury to the ligaments of the knee. Interestingly, around 100,000 ACL reconstruction surgeries are performed each year. Most surgery patients are those who participate in high-risk sports like football, basketball, soccer and skiing. However, not all injuries require surgery. ACL strains and sprains are treated without going through surgery and are treated using pain medication, rest and physical therapy.
To help us understand our knees better, let’s talk a little about its anatomy. The bone structure of the knee joint is formed by the shinbone, patella, femur, kneecap, thighbone and tibia. The ACL is one of the four ligaments within the knee that connect the femur to the tibia. The knee joint is a simple hinge held together by these ligaments, named for their locations and their positional relationships with the other ligaments: the medial collateral, the anterior cruciate, the lateral collateral, and posterior cruciate ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is in the front of the knee, and crosses the posterior cruciate ligament. The ACL runs diagonally in the middle of the knee, preventing the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, as well as providing rotational stability to the knee.
Approximately 50% of ACL tears occur in combination with damage to the meniscus, articular cartilage, or other ligaments. About 70% of ACL injuries happen from overuse or misuse of the knee joint, and 30% result from direct contact with another player or object.
Patients usually experience swelling and pain immediately after an ACL tear. Within a few hours, the knee will swell, pain will increase and full range of motion is lost. Torn ligaments cannot repair themselves so ACL surgery is required. This is where orthopedic surgeons come in and treat our knee problem.
There is another procedure used by orthopedic surgeons to repair ACL tears. It is called Anatomic ACL. It is an advanced ACL reconstruction although it is not yet widely practiced. However, it has shown to shorten the patient’s recovery time and increase ACL surgery success which in turn restore the knee’s full function.
If you experience an ACL tear, you don’t have to think that you’re not going to walk properly again.
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