Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most challenging for rehabilitation. A torn ACL may take up to a year before you regain optimal strength and can return to your usual activities.
Why such a long recovery? Because a torn ligament doesn’t heal. And for many, surgery is the only way to restore its strength.
Our orthopedic specialists at Cascade Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center, P.C., have helped many people overcome ACL injuries and return to their activities. Read on to learn more about ACL injuries.
The ACL attaches to the shinbone (tibia), runs through the knee joint, and connects to the thigh bone (femur). The ligament controls tibia movement, preventing it from sliding away from the femur.
A healthy ACL also provides rotational stability. It supports the knee joint when your movements force the shinbone and thighbone to twist in opposite directions.
ACL injuries occur when you:
Less commonly, a direct blow to the knee can also injure the ACL. You’re more likely to have an ACL injury if you engage in high-demand sports such as football, soccer, basketball, and downhill skiing.
You may have mild to severe pain, depending on the extent of the ACL injury and other structures damaged. Half of those with an injured ACL sustain multiple injuries affecting the other ligaments or cartilage.
Some people feel or hear a pop when the ACL tears. With or without the pop, you’ll experience:
An ACL injury can lead to knee instability even if you have mild symptoms.
There are three levels of ligament injuries. You can pull the ligament without a tear, develop a partial tear, or suffer a complete rupture. Because of the high-impact movement involved, most ACL injuries result in a tear.
Whether partial or extensive, a torn ACL doesn’t heal by itself. The ligament can’t heal because it has a poor blood supply. As a result, it lacks the oxygen, proteins, and other substances needed for healing.
When deciding how to treat an ACL injury, we consider the extent of the damage, joint stability, and your future activity goals.
We treat a pulled ligament with conservative therapies (rest, temporary immobilization, and physical therapy).
You can choose between conservative care and surgery for partial and complete tears, depending on your activity goals.
If you have an ACL tear and the knee joint is stable, you may decide against surgery. You may even choose conservative treatment for a complete tear if the joint is stable, but there is a trade-off.
Though the tear won’t heal, physical therapy and rehabilitation can restore knee function. However, you should limit future activities because the ligament won’t regain its pre-injury strength. That means you’re at risk of reinjury and joint instability.
Surgery is the only way to restore optimal ACL strength and function. We recommend surgery for the following:
Because the ACL has a poor blood supply, we don’t repair the tear with stitches. Instead, we reconstruct the ligament, replacing it with a small piece of healthy tendon from another body area.
During reconstruction, we anchor the tendon in the tibia and femur, recreating the same position and strength as the original ACL. After surgery, you begin rehabilitation and can return to sports in six months to a year. (Each person recovers at their own pace.)
If you have a knee injury — even if you’re not sure it involves the ACL — you can protect your knee strength and mobility by learning about and choosing the treatment that fits your lifestyle.
Call Cascade Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center, P.C. today or complete the online form to request an appointment to schedule a knee evaluation.
