What Is Anterior Cruciate Ligament
ACL is a ligament inside the knee joint, that stabilises Femur with Tibia, withholds the anterior movement of tibia and in important for the stability of the knee. It is a common injury in athletes and may be subject to injury of rapture. Physical Therapy is important for injury prevention, and lingament healing -in case of injury. In case of ACL complete surgery is required to restore the ligament and post-surgery Physical Therapy for rehabilitaion. Injury mechanism involves :
- Sudden, unexpected landing after jump
- Sudden turn of the leg
- Sudden direction of movemnt cahge - with the foot stack on the surface and the body moving towards the opposite direction, moving the knee forward and turnig it to the inside
- Muscles incapable for the activity demands
Symptoms of ACL injury
In case of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, the patient will experience :
- Pain on the knee and the anterior thigh
- Difficulty exercising
- Difficulty walking long distance
- Poping sound at the moment of injury
- Swelling
- Functional restrictions
- Performance deterioration
- Quality of life deterioration
Risk factors for ACL injury
The conditions for ACL injury are found in :
- Athletes
- Sports that invlove sudden changes of direction
- Muscles weaker than the sport demands
Differential Assessment
An assessment is required be an Orthopedic Physical Therapist, by taking medical history, clinical examination, and clinical tests, to determine the integrity fo the ligament and potential other injuries or condition, such as:
- Patellofemoral Tendinopathy
- Patellofemoral Syndrome
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury
- MCL or LCL Injury
- Meniscus Injury
What happens if I do not treat ACL injury
If an ACL injury is not treated properly, a chronic clinical condition is established with symptoms such as :
- Chronic pain
- Joint instability
- Functional restrictions
- Performance deterioration
- Quality of life deterioration
- Repeated injuries and falls
How Can Physical Therapy Help
Physical Therapy is essentianl from treating an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. First priority is to relief pain, which is achived by a combination of specialized interventions of electrotherpy, massage and exercise that will bring immediatel results. Later a structured exercise program will restore mobility and strength to the leg and avert future reccurent symptoms. Invterventions applied are :
A structrured exercise program for ACL injury prevention or rehabilitaion will include :
- Quadriceps sthrengthening
- Abductor strengthening
- Adductor strengthening
- Proprioception exercises
- Direction change exercises
- Sport simulation exercises
- Aerobic program
Did you have surgery for Anterior Cruciate Ligament ?
Physical Therapy can help you maximize the benefits of a surgery.Together with Physical Therapist Mr. Danalis you will customise your rehabilitaion, so that post-surgery pain is addressed quickly, and with exercise your leg will once again be strong and with full range of motion.
If you have pain in the knee Contact PhysioDanali today for expert consultation.
References
Arundale AJH, Bizzini M, Dix C, Giordano A, Kelly R, Logerstedt DS, Mandelbaum B, Scalzitti DA, Silvers-Granelli H, Snyder-Mackler L. Exercise-Based Knee and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2023 Jan;53(1):CPG1-CPG34. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2023.0301. PMID: 36587265.
Arundale AJH, Bizzini M, Giordano A, Hewett TE, Logerstedt DS, Mandelbaum B, Scalzitti DA, Silvers-Granelli H, Snyder-Mackler L. Exercise-Based Knee and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018 Sep;48(9):A1-A42. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2018.0303. PMID: 30170521.
Kopkow C, Freiberg A, Kirschner S, Seidler A, Schmitt J. Physical examination tests for the diagnosis of posterior cruciate ligament rupture: a systematic review. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Nov;43(11):804-13. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2013.4906. Epub 2013 Oct 11. PMID: 24175598.
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