An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most feared injuries in sports.
Surprisingly, many ACL tears take place without contact. These injuries typically occur when an athlete either tries to decelerate or change direction quickly. They may also happen upon landing from a jump awkwardly and with hyperextending or twisting the knee. Females are also at a much higher risk of ACL injury than males. Research shows anywhere from a four to eightfold increase in these injuries to female athletes. The reasons for this large differential is constantly being argued. Many common factors include smaller, more lax ACL’s, wider hips, slower reaction time, higher quadriceps to hamstring strength ratio and hormonal differences.
Why is the ACL tear so feared?
The ACL is one of four ligaments that stabilize the knee. It attaches the femur to the tibia, resisting the femur’s forward motion on the tibia. It also resists excessive rotation of the knee. Due to poor blood supply a torn ACL cannot scar down and heal itself. When fully ruptured, the ACL must be reconstructed through surgery. The ACL is typically replaced by using part of the athlete’s hamstring or patella tendon. Recovery from the surgery will take anywhere from six to twelve months. This is a lifetime to a young athlete.
So, can these injuries be prevented? It is impossible to fully avoid ACL tears. Many studies show that with proper training and conditioning, non-contact ACL tears can be significantly reduced.
Schedule an appointment to discuss your specific sport and training regimen to get expert advice on preventing ACL injuries, especially with year-round youth sports and strenuous competiion.
CLICK BELOW FOR RELATED CONTENT
