acl tear
Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament are a common injury in both men's and women's lacrosse, but occur more frequently in women than in men. ACL tears are more common in women than in men because the notch that the ACL runs through, called the intercondylar notch. is smaller in womens' bodies than in men so it is more likely for the bone to snap the ACL. Also, men generally have slightly faster reaction times than women, and ACL tears can be related to a slow reaction time because the muscles surrounding the ACL do not have enough time to flex and protect it.
Mechanism: An ACL tear or sprain occurs when a sudden change in direction or pivot occurs on a locked knee.
Symptoms: When the ACL is first torn, the athlete will feel and hear a pop, followed by pain and swelling of the knee.
Diagnosis: When an athlete is initially examined for a suspected ACL tear, the doctor will perform the Lachman's test . If the ACL is torn, the tibia will start forward when the knee is fully straight and then will shift back into the correct position in relation to the femur when the knee is bent past 30 degrees. Next, the doctor will usually order x-rays to look for any possible fractures. Then they will order an MRI to evaluate the ACL and to check for evidence of injury to other knee ligaments, or meniscus cartilage.
Treatment/Rehabilitation: If the ACL is partially torn, surgery is usually not recommended. If the ACL is completely torn, the patient has the option of having surgery or playing with no ACL. If the athlete chooses to not have surgery, they will need to wear a knee brace to play until the muscles around the ACL have strengthened enough to support the knee with the absence of the ACL. The minimum recovery time for an ACL tear is 6 months. Whether or not you have surgery after tearing your ACL, you need to do physical therapy and rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles in the knee to prevent further tearing of the ACL or tearing of other ligaments in the knee.
Prevention:
Do everything you can to strengthen all the muscles in your knee so that they are able to better protect and stabilize the ACL. The workout given under the training tab includes exercises to prevent ACL tears.
Mechanism: An ACL tear or sprain occurs when a sudden change in direction or pivot occurs on a locked knee.
Symptoms: When the ACL is first torn, the athlete will feel and hear a pop, followed by pain and swelling of the knee.
Diagnosis: When an athlete is initially examined for a suspected ACL tear, the doctor will perform the Lachman's test . If the ACL is torn, the tibia will start forward when the knee is fully straight and then will shift back into the correct position in relation to the femur when the knee is bent past 30 degrees. Next, the doctor will usually order x-rays to look for any possible fractures. Then they will order an MRI to evaluate the ACL and to check for evidence of injury to other knee ligaments, or meniscus cartilage.
Treatment/Rehabilitation: If the ACL is partially torn, surgery is usually not recommended. If the ACL is completely torn, the patient has the option of having surgery or playing with no ACL. If the athlete chooses to not have surgery, they will need to wear a knee brace to play until the muscles around the ACL have strengthened enough to support the knee with the absence of the ACL. The minimum recovery time for an ACL tear is 6 months. Whether or not you have surgery after tearing your ACL, you need to do physical therapy and rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles in the knee to prevent further tearing of the ACL or tearing of other ligaments in the knee.
Prevention:
Do everything you can to strengthen all the muscles in your knee so that they are able to better protect and stabilize the ACL. The workout given under the training tab includes exercises to prevent ACL tears.