ACL Injury

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is a damage to the ACL in your knee. One of the ligaments in your knee is the ACL. It joins the tibia, your shin bone, to the femur, your thigh bone. Each knee has one ACL that you have. Together with your posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), it creates a "X" shape inside your knee. Nearer the front of your knee is the ACL. The PCL is situated nearer the rear of your knee.

Many persons who have an ACL damage report hearing a pop or feeling a "popping" sound in their knee. Your knee could get swollen, unsteady, and excruciating to walk on.

Symptoms of ACL Injury:

• Knee pain and swelling: After an ACL tear, your knee will swell. The swelling is typically quite significant and occurs quickly within hours of the injury. The pain is caused by joint swelling and the extent of the damage in and around the knee joint.
• Loss of range of motion: Following an ACL tear, you may be unable to bend or straighten your knee as usual.
• Instability of the knee: Pivoting or cutting movements, common in many sports, can cause the knee to become unstable or give way.
• Walking causes discomfort.
• Tenderness along the line of the joint.
• When your anterior cruciate ligament is injured, you may hear a popping sound and feel a snapping sensation in your knee. This, however, does not happen to everyone.

Causes of ACL Injury:

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 to your shinbone 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 having a collision, such as a football tackle

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.

How are ACL injury diagnosed?

A physical examination and certain tests are used by a medical professional to detect an ACL injury. They will examine your knee and question you about your symptoms. Inform your healthcare physician of your activities just prior to suffering a knee injury and the onset of your symptoms.

Your provider might perform some movements or motions with your knee and leg. These tests might feel uncomfortable. Tell your provider if any position or motion hurts or makes your symptoms worse.

You’ll probably need at least one of a few imaging tests, including:

• X-rays.
• A computed tomography (CT) scan.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Physiotherapy treatment for an ACL injury:

• Modalities: Heat and cold therapy is applied to enhance relaxation and reduces pain. It is important to use ice after exercise and after any activity that causes discomfort. Pulsed electrical stimulation can also be used to relieve the pain. Electric stimulation will helps to improve the blood circulation, thus enhancing the healing process and reducing any swelling or discomfort.
• Safest ACL Rehab Exercises to Start: The following exercises should begin within one to three days post-operation, and continued for two to four weeks. As you move through these exercises, pay close attention to the sensations in your knee. If an exercise is causing pain, stop doing it. Exercises that do not cause pain can be performed one to four times per day.

• Heel Slides: This exercise extends the knee without bearing any weight. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched. Slowly bend the injured knee while sliding your heel across the floor toward you. Slowly slide the foot back into the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
• Isometric Quad Contractions: This exercise is also done while seated. Sit on the floor with your injured leg extended and your other leg bent. If you feel pain, place a rolled towel under your knee for support. Slowly squeeze the quadriceps of the injured knee without moving the leg. The quadriceps are the muscles on the front of your thigh. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times.
• Prone Knee Flexion: This exercise is performed while lying on your stomach. Lie on your stomach with your legs straight. Bend your injured knee and bring your heel toward your buttocks. Hold 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times.
• Sitting Towel Calf Stretch: For this exercise, all you will need is a towel and somewhere to sit. Sit on the floor with both legs straight in front of you. Place the middle of the towel on the bottom of the foot on your injured side while holding both ends. Pull the ends of the towel toward you, feeling the stretch in your calf. Repeat twice for 30 seconds each.
• Ankle Pumps: This exercise begins by lying flat on your back with your legs outstretched. Bend your "good leg" up, propping your foot on the floor for support. On your injured side, flex your toes up toward the ceiling. Then point your toes away from you. Do ten repetitions. Repeat twice.

Effective management of ACL Injury at Spine Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre (SPTRC) in Shyamoli requires teamwork among medical professionals and patients, which in turn improves the patients' quality of life.

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