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Knee Injuries and Athletes
'POP' Goes the ACL
Ray R. Valdez, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon
The scene is all too familiar: Young athletes are playing a sport involving quick stops and starts, when suddenly one of the players hears a "pop," clutches his or her knee and falls to the ground in pain. The sideline diagnosis of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is later confirmed by a physician.
The ACL is one of four main ligaments that connects the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). It lies in the middle of the knee and prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur. Its function is to provide rotational stability to the knee.
An ACL injury is the extreme stretching or tearing of the ligament. The tear may be partial or complete but either way affects the knee's stability. These serious knee injuries are increasingly common in young athletes today. Luckily, there are many things athletes can do to reduce their risk of an ACL injury. If an injury does occur, Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas (MOST) offers minimally invasive treatments to repair the ACL and therapy services to help prevent re-injury.
ACL Injury Causes
"ACL injuries typically are caused by a sudden twisting motion in the knee when an athlete decelerates, lands or stops," says Ray R. Valdez, M.D., an orthopedic specialist with MOST. Many ACL injuries occur in team sports; however, 70% are incurred with little or no contact with another athlete. Often, when a player reacts to a nearby player, the sudden movement causes the ACL tear.
In addition, coming to a quick stop when combined with a directional change, pivoting or landing from a jump can also cause an ACL injury. Although experts aren't sure why, women are two to eight times more likely than their male counterparts to experience an ACL injury.
Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
According to Dr. Valdez, an ACL injury often makes a popping sound, and the leg may buckle when weight is applied. "Following the initial pain of the rupture or sprain, the knee typically swells for several weeks," says Dr. Valdez. "When the swelling subsides, athletes may not experience knee pain or buckling in daily activities; however, without treatment, sports activities may result in further knee damage."
A thorough examination is necessary to correctly diagnose an ACL injury. Several tests may be performed to determine if parts of the knee stay in the correct position when pressure is applied in different directions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can confirm a suspected complete tear. Partial tears can be confirmed by arthroscopy, a same-day procedure that allows a surgeon to make a small incision to insert pencil-sized instruments and a light to view the knee's structure.
A partial tear may not require surgical treatment. Complete tears may require surgery; however, minimally invasive techniques to repair ACL injuries are available and offer many benefits over traditional open surgery such as shorter procedure times, smaller incisions and less recovery time. After ACL repair, our physical therapists will help you strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, improve flexibility and teach you new ways of moving to reduce risk of re-injury.
Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas offers the latest diagnostic tools, including MRI and arthroscopy, for diagnosing ACL tears. If you suspect an ACL injury, please call 866-567-4130 for more information or to schedule an appointment.