The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plays a starring role in the function and stability of your knee. Crossing from front to back at the center of your knee, the ACL prevents your knee from sliding too far forward while promoting normal bending and support during movement.
Every year, as many as 200,000 ACL injuries occur in the United States, and while it’s an injury that’s typically associated with athletes, like football or basketball players, ACL tears can happen to anyone — even people who lead relatively sedentary lives.
Some ACL tears definitely require surgery to restore normal knee function and mobility. Often, the surgery is performed using minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery for faster healing and a quicker return to normal knee function. Other times, ACL injuries can heal on their own with nonsurgical medical support.
Thomas E. Powell, MD, and his team provide patient-centered treatment for ACL tears in women and men at Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, including both nonsurgical therapies and minimally-invasive arthroscopic surgery when needed.
Many ACL injuries happen when you rapidly change direction while moving, pivoting and twisting the ligament beyond its normal limits. Other injuries are caused by improperly landing after a jump, falls or other direct impacts, auto accidents, or work-related activities.
Like any injury, ACL injuries can vary in the way they occur and their severity. Symptoms are understandably worse with more advanced tears that cause knee instability in addition to weakness and pain.
Broadly, ACL injuries can be divided into three types or “grades” of injury: Grade 1 injuries happen when the ligament is stretched but not torn. Grade 2 injuries are partial tears of the ACL, causing the ligament to loosen. Grade 3 injuries are complete tears where the ligament is torn in two or detached from the bone.
Roughly half of all ACL injuries involve other damage to the knee structures, like the cartilage or other ligaments.
ACL treatment is based on several factors, including the type of injury, its severity, whether other structures are also damaged, and the patient’s level of activity, as well as how much instability is present.
Conservative treatment typically begins with RICE: rest, ice application, compression, and elevation. Many patients benefit from using a brace or crutches (or both) to provide additional stability and to relieve strain on the knee while it heals. Medication helps relieve pain and swelling. And of course, lifestyle modifications prevent overstressing the joint.
Typically, conservative treatment may be successful for people with mild ACL injuries and those who lead relatively inactive lifestyles. Nonsurgical therapies are also more likely to be successful in people with partial tears with no instability issues and those who are ready to give up high-impact activities in favor of less demanding sports.
On the other hand, surgery is typically a better choice for people with severe tears and for those who want to continue to lead active lives, particularly people who participate in high-impact activities. It’s also a good choice for patients with a high degree of instability and for those who have other injuries to the knee in addition to their ACL injury.
Having a medical evaluation at the first sign of knee pain or after a knee injury is the best way to prevent more serious problems later on. To find out what’s causing your knee pain or how we can help you heal following an ACL injury, call 205-606-5232 or request an appointment online with Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, today.
