Knowing and treating ACL knee injuries
Playing sports is a great way to stay in shape and get a healthy dose of competition. However, being an athlete puts you at a greater risk for injury. These injuries can create a major setback for athletes, putting competition on hold for a period of time.
Some injuries are quick to heal, but others can cause months or even years of pain and limited activity. Knee injuries are particularly common in athletes; in fact, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee, accounting for up to 250,000 injuries per year.
The ACL is a ligament in the knee joint that is responsible for stabilizing the knee. This ligament helps you stop abruptly and pivot sharply, reducing injury to the knee. Not surprisingly, a lot of ACL injuries happen in sports like basketball and soccer, where these movements are more common.
Usually, the injury occurs when the move is disrupted or coordination is lost. For instance, an ACL tear may occur when landing incorrectly after jumping or quickly changing direction while running.
Most ACL injuries are not the result of contact or collision. There are several factors that may influence the occurrence of the injury. Other factors that influence the occurance of injury include the quality of the playing surface and the shoe surface interface. Injury may also be more likely if there is a strength imbalance, such as strong quad muscles with gluteal weakness. Poor muscle mechanics may place more stress through the knee joint leading to ACL impingement or failure.
The best treatment for ACL injury is prevention. A good strengthening program will help strengthen the ligament and avoid injury. If a tear occurs, prompt diagnosis and treatment will get you on the road to recovery more quickly.
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For more information on injury prevention, please visit www.whs.org/sportsmed. The Washington Health System Sports Medicine team will be offering an ACL injury prevention course in August; please visit the website for information regarding date, time, and location.