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All About

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction

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Symptoms

 

Signs and symptoms of an ACL injury usually include:

· A loud "pop" or a "popping" sensation in the knee

· Severe pain and inability to continue activity

· Rapid swelling

· Loss of range of motion

· A feeling of instability or "giving way" with weight bearing

Causes

 

Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The ACL, one of two ligaments that cross in the middle of the knee, connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia) and helps stabilize your knee joint.

ACL injuries often happen during sports and fitness activities that can put stress on the knee:

· Suddenly slowing down and changing direction (cutting)

· Pivoting with your foot firmly planted

· Landing awkwardly from a jump

· Stopping suddenly

· Receiving a direct blow to the knee or collision, such as a football

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When the ligament is damaged, there is usually a partial or complete tear of the tissue. A mild injury may stretch the ligament but leave it intact

More about Treatment

 

ACL injuries are common among people who play sports. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a band of tissue within the knee. It gets damaged when it stretches or tears. This can happen if you turn sharply or move suddenly while you’re running or jumping.

If you strain or slightly tear your ACL, it may heal over time with your doctor’s help and physical therapy. But if it’s completely torn, you may need to have it replaced especially if you’re young and active or an athlete who wants to keep playing sports. If you’re older or less active, your doctor might recommend treatments that don’t require surgery.

 

Your doctor will remove the torn ligament from your knee and replace it with new tissue. The goal is to get your knee stable again and give it the full range of motion it had before you got hurt.

 

Doctors typically use arthroscopic surgery on your ACL. This means they insert tiny tools and a camera through small cuts around your knee. There’s less scarring of the skin with this method than with open-knee surgery.

 

FAQ on this Treatment

What activities to be avoided after this treatment?

Total knee extension activities
Leg balancing activities like standing on operated leg

How long it will be before I return to work?

Full recovery generally takes 6-12 months but sports and other routine activities can be resumed after 3-4 months.

What exercises and physiotherapy are needed after this treatment?

Week 1-2: Icing and Elevation of leg to reduce swelling, Quadriceps strengthening exercise or patella movement exercises, passive extension ,active and passive knee flexion ,Active hip movement
Week 3-4: Partial weight bearing with walker or crutches in addition to above
Week5-9: Balancing exercises plus increase strength to above exercises
Week 10: Forward, backward and lateral dynamic movement and isokinetic exercises.
Month 3: Functional exercises like walking and running
Month 4: Acceleration and deceleration, variation in running. Cutting manoeuver improves arthokinetic reflexes ton prevent development of new trauma.

How is this disease diagnosed?

Pain and swelling of knee with history of deforming force at knee with sound of something breaking.
Positive Anterior Drawer test
Plain x-ray may be normal but abnormal opening on stress x-ray may be seen
Sometimes Arthroscopy under local anesthesia may be required.

Who are more prone to this disease?

It is common in players of basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Cricket due to sudden jerk to ligament.

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