Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are injuries that occur in this area.

Understanding

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are injuries that occur in this area. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) itself is one of the connective tissues found in the knee joint. Ligaments control the forward and backward movement of the knee and prevent the shinbone (tibia) from sliding forward on the thighbone (femur).

If there is an injury to this section, there are three levels of injury that may occur, namely:

  • Grade 1 injury: there is a slight pull on the ligament, but the ligament still functions to stabilize the knee joint.
  • Grade 2 injury: there is a tear or pull on some of the ligaments so that the ligaments loosen.
  • Grade 3 injury: there is a complete tear in the muscle so that it is divided into two parts, so that the knee joint becomes unstable

Reason

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries can occur for several reasons, such as:

  • foot changes the direction of movement abruptly
  • sudden stop
  • decrease in speed while running
  • landing error after jumping
  • direct impact to the knee

Symptom

You can recognize an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury by the following symptoms:

  • hear or feel a “pop” in the knee
  • pain and difficulty continuing activities
  • swelling and instability of the knee
  • hemarthrosis (blood in the joints)

Diagnosis

To determine the diagnosis of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the doctor will carry out a thorough physical examination (including carrying out a Lachman test, pivot shift test, as well as an anterior drawer test ). If necessary, an MRI can be done which is also 90%–98% accurate to determine the condition of this injury.

Treatment

If there is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the initial treatment is to do PRICE, namely steps such as:

  • Protection or protection of the hamstring muscles
  • Rest of the act of resting the injured muscle first
  • Ice, which is compressing the knee area with ice
  • Compression or giving light compression/pressure to help provide stability to the injured muscle
  • Elevation, which is the act of elevating the position of the feet, usually by propping up a pillow while sleeping

If the injury is severe enough and if necessary, the doctor will consider surgery. This action is usually only done about three weeks after the injury occurred. Things that determine whether or not surgery is needed include age, knee stability, activity, and the occupation of the injured person.

Prevention

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries can be prevented in several ways, such as:

  • use of good sports equipment, especially the right sports shoes for each type of sport you are doing. Using the right and quality sports shoes will reduce your risk of experiencing knee ligament injuries or injuries to other parts of the body.
  • do exercise movements to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint.
  • make sure you warm up and cool down properly and adequately every time you start and finish a sporting activity.
  • as you get older, avoid sudden movements and stress the knee. Likewise, if you are in a state of excessive weight. Be careful in carrying out daily activities.

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