Exterior Cruciate Trauma

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The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee that is located in the middle of the knee. It connects two bones in the leg known as the shin bone and the thigh bone and prevents the former from sliding out in front of the latter.

What happens when the knee ligament ruptures?
There are four main ligaments in the knee known as the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament, the lateral collateral ligament, and the medial collateral ligament. These four ligaments are essential in promoting movement in the knee as well as connecting the bones in the thigh to the shin.

When any of the knee ligaments rupture or are injured, it may lead to difficulty of movement in the knee accompanied by symptoms …show more content…
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament occur when the knee experiences sudden stress due to certain factors such as an awkward landing, pivoting, deceleration of movement paired with cutting, and a direct blow to the knee. Most ACL injuries are sports related and are most common among athletes of basketball, volleyball, and football, among others.

There are also some factors which make a person more prone to experiencing injuries in their ACL, this includes gender, age, and a previously torn ACL. Generally, women are more prone to experience an ACL injury. In fact, it is said that a woman may experience an ACL injury 4 to 6 times more than men. This is due to the difference between men and women when it comes to muscle strength, jumping and landing techniques, and neuromuscular control.

What are the symptoms of an anterior cruciate ligament …show more content…
Because ACL injuries usually involve the bones, tissues, ligaments, and tendons in the knee, it is important to immediately seek medical care in order to determine the severity of the injury if you suspect that you might have injured your anterior cruciate ligament injury.

How to diagnose anterior cruciate ligament injury
After consulting a doctor for a suspected ACL injury, doctors will conduct a physical exam to check the condition of the injured knee. These tests include a comparison of the injured knee to the uninjured knee, and doing a range of movement tests to the injured knee. While doctors may deduct an ACL injury from physical tests alone, imaging tests such as x-rays and MRI tests as well as an ultrasound may confirm the doctor’s diagnosis and rule out other possible causes of knee pain.

What are the treatments for anterior cruciate ligament injury?
An ACL injury may either be treated non-surgically or surgically, however, it is more advisable to treat ACL through a surgical procedure especially if the ACL is combined with other types of knee
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As an athlete, I am aware of life-altering injuries which occur during sports. One of my teammates injured her knee during a game and tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). With this type of injury, it was doubtful she would return for the following year; however, she returned to the team six months later. Unlike other colleges, IUPUI has four hospitals on or near the campus and is one of only a few schools in the state of Indiana to have an accredited Pre-PT and PT program. Without the help…

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