The Dreaded ACL Tear

We often lose one of our favorite athletes to injuries. A common injury amongst professional athletes is the ACL tear. An ACL tear in a professional athlete requires surgical reconstruction of the damaged ligament.  Injuries to the ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, of the knee are common among all athletes because it tears when the knee is hyper-extended or when the foot remains planted, but the body continues to move.  Both of these positions occur quite often in running sports, especially in contact sports like football.

The ACL is an important stabilizer for the knee joint.  If a tear of the ACL is left untreated in an athlete, another injury to the knee is eminent due to the instability caused by the nonfunctional ACL.  On the other hand, it is possible for non-athletes to successfully rehabilitate the knee after an ACL tear by completing a course of physical therapy.  By building up the muscular support surrounding the knee, a non-athlete can return to unlimited activities of daily living without the need for surgery.  In all cases, it is a joint decision between the treating surgeon and the patient whether or not to pursue surgical reconstruction.  Either way, physical therapy is recommended to rehabilitate the knee and entire lower extremity in preparation of returning to sport-related or work-related activities.

Like all others who need ACL reconstructions, a decision will have to be made about which biological tissue will be used to reconstruct the ACL.  The choice is either a graft from his or her own body (typically from the kneecap tendon or hamstring tendon), a graft from a cadaver or a graft from a non-human.  Most commonly, the patient uses a graft from his or her own knee, but once again, the decision making process is guided by the surgeon’s preference in conjunction with the patients’ in weighing the pros and cons of each scenario.  

Following an accelerated approach to treatment, he or she will have the surgical reconstruction performed as soon as possible.  Physical therapy will then begin within days of the surgery to focus on range of motion, swelling and pain control, and to begin to re-learn how to contract the knee muscles effectively.  As healing continues, physical therapy will get progressively more intense as strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination and balance return.  The athlete should recover steadily and be ready for light competition within months-- assuming no other complications arise.  

So now you should have a better understanding of what the reporters are talking about when they discuss injuries to the ACL.  As mentioned before, it is a common injury for athletes and non-athletes alike-- I hope you have no need to learn more about ACL injuries and treatment!

Conshohocken Physical Therapy is not an ordinary Physical Therapy clinic. We believe in changing your life. We are driven by the desire to make a positive impact, both personally and therapeutically, on every person who enters our office.

You will experience pain relief, improved motion and a greater quality of life. Our approach is friendly, evidence-based and innovative and our Doctors of Physical Therapy have the most specialized training in treating your body.

Learn more about Conshohocken Physical Therapy by visiting us online at www.conshypt.com.