Having a tear in the ACL or the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of the worst things that could happen to an athlete. The ACL is one of the major ligaments in the knee and if it is torn, the knee would give out. ACL tear is an injury that is usually acquired by athletes. Sports such as football, basketball, volleyball and tennis could incur extreme stress in the ACL. That is why a torn ACL is common to athletes playing those types of sports.
Symptoms of a torn ACL may include swelling in the knee, unstable knee, a 'popping sound' when the injury occurs and a clicking sound when walking. Persons with torn ACL would actually feel a discomfort in the knee when either walking or running. An injured ACL would greatly affect the normal activity of a person that involves proper function of the knee. For an athlete it is impossible to perform well with a torn ACL.
Treatment of ACL for athletes usually involves surgery such as ACL reconstruction. For an average person, the treatment does not really have to involve surgery depending on the gravity of the injury. A physical therapy rehab is also necessary to help the knee gradually regain its proper function. There are also some exercise routines that could be followed to help the ACL recover. Popular ACL reconstruction methods include the use of patellar tendon, hamstring and ACL transplant.
The time required for an ACL tear to fully heal also depends on the gravity of the injury and the treatment procedure that the person has undergone. After going through surgery, it might take some time for the ACL to recover. Even though athletes have personal therapists and modern equipments at their disposal, getting back on the playing field may take a while.
Studies to help determine what could be done to help prevent ACL tear are still ongoing. There are some however that suggest proper training and doing exercises which gives focus in strengthening the knees may help prevent such injuries from occurring. Proper stretching routines before the game could also help to avoid the tearing of the ACL.
Even though there is no scientific explanation why, ACL injuries are more frequent for female athletes as compared to their male counterparts. The theory on why this happen might be related to the body structure being different between a male and a female.
Though there are some athletes that never regain their full playing capacity after an ACL tear injury, there are also a lot who have fully recovered. When playing, it is always best to be careful to avoid any type of injury. Proper training and being well-prepared prior to a game always helps.
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