Each year, up to 400,000 people in the United States experience an ACL injury, making it one of the most common knee injuries. While these injuries are most common during sports participation, they can also occur due to a fall or an accident.
Treatment for an ACL injury varies depending on its severity. A partial ACL tear may be treated using physical therapy and other nonsurgical treatment options, but a complete ACL tear usually requires surgery.
If you experience an ACL injury, you can turn to the Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Orthopedic Surgery team for the advanced care you need.
What is an ACL tear?
It might surprise you to learn that an ACL tear is also called a sprain. That’s because a sprain is the stretching or tearing of ligaments, including the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
The ACL is one of the ligaments in the knee, which provides support to hold the bones together and keep the knee stable. When the ligament stretches or tears, that support system becomes unstable, much like a snapped rubber band.
Sometimes, only the ACL is damaged in an accident or injury, but roughly half the time, other parts of the knee anatomy, such as the meniscus, cartilage or other ligaments, are also damaged.
The ACL is located in the front of the knee. Other ligaments in the knee that might be injured include:
- The lateral collateral ligament, which is on the outside of the knee
- The medial collateral ligament, which is on the inside of the knee
- The posterior cruciate ligament, which is in the back of the knee
Partial tears of the ACL are relatively rare. In most cases, ACL injuries are complete or near complete tears.
What causes an ACL injury?
ACL injuries are quite common in sports participation, particularly among female athletes. Research suggests that the increased incidence among girls and women may be related to anatomical differences, muscular strength, ligament rigidity and neuromuscular control.
While these injuries often occur during a sports practice or game, they can occur during any activity that includes certain movements, including:
- Direct contact or collision
- Incorrect jump landings
- Rapid changes in direction
- Slowing down while running
- Sudden stops
ACL injuries are more common in some sports than in others, with most occurring in activities involving sudden pivoting or cutting movements, like soccer or football.
What are the symptoms of an ACL injury?
A distinctive “popping” noise and sensation is usually the first sign of an ACL injury. Other symptoms may include:
- Diminished range of motion
- Discomfort while walking
- Knee instability
- Pain with swelling
- Tenderness along the knee joint
Pain and swelling may also diminish as inflammation goes away, often within 24 hours of an injury However, it’s important not to resume activity at that time because the knee’s instability can cause further injury.
How is an ACL injury diagnosed?
Following an injury, an orthopedic specialist will perform a thorough physical examination, taking special care to examine the structure of the knee compared with the non-injured knee. In some cases, imaging scans such as an X-ray or MRI may be used to confirm a diagnosis or determine the extent of the injury.
How is an ACL injury treated?
ACL injuries can be treated using both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options. Nonsurgical treatment, which includes progressive physical therapy, can help restore knee function in patients with partial ACL tears and no signs of knee instability.
When knee damage is severe, surgery is usually necessary to repair complete or near-complete ACL tears. During ACL surgery, the torn ACL is removed and replaced with a substitute tendon graft. The graft may come from the patient’s patellar, hamstring, or quadriceps tendon or from the patellar, Achilles, or other tendons of a tissue donor.
If other components of the knee are damaged along with an ACL injury, surgery may also include repair or replacement of those elements.
Following surgery, patients require ongoing physical therapy to strengthen the knee and regain range of motion. Overall, patients usually experience positive results from ACL surgery, with up to a 95% success rate.
Choose NGPG for ACL Surgery
The anatomy of the knee is complex. When the ACL or another ligament in the knee is damaged, it can make the knee unstable and susceptible to further injury. If you experience an ACL injury, NGPG Orthopedic Surgery can help.
Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons have years of experience performing ACL surgery to replace the damaged ACL and repair any other damage in the knee.
These surgical procedures are performed in the state-of-the-art surgical suites at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where we have access to the latest technologies and imaging equipment. Combining these advancements with our expertise, we’re able to get our patients on the path to healing.