Have You Injured Your ACL?

Have You Injured Your ACL?

A knee injury that impacts your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may not always require surgery, but proper diagnosis and a good rehabilitation protocol of the knee joint is vital. Without appropriate care, you could end up with long term issues and significant loss of mobility. Almost 20% of osteoarthritis cases involve a patient with an old ACL injury, so get your knee seen as soon as possible by your Bay Area sports medicine doctor if you’re hurt.

Here at IASM, we frequently treat patients with ACL injuries. We can help you get back to the sports activities you love with careful treatment and monitored rehabilitation.

Types of ACL tears

Four main ligaments support the knee:

• ACL: anterior cruciate ligament 
• PCL: posterior cruciate ligament  
• MCL: medial collateral ligament 
• LCL: lateral collateral ligament  

The ACL is the most vulnerable and most likely to be injured of the four ligaments due to its location. It runs diagonally across the front surface of the knee, to keep the tibia from sliding in front of the femur. It’s also a significant point of support during knee rotation, meaning that an ACL injury can destabilize your knee significantly.  

ACL tears are often caused by a sudden change in direction at a high speed or by a forceful impact, and are common in high-contact sports like football, or in action sports like skiing. The tear is often accompanied by an audible “pop” and extreme pain and often causes one to collapse.  

If you’ve suffered an ACL injury, treatment depends on the severity of the tear. For a partial tear, a San Francisco sports medicine doctor may recommend R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) followed up with a comprehensive rehabilitative and physical therapy program. Multiple tears or a significant tear that detaches the ligament from the knee or rips it in half may require arthroscopic surgery to repair. ACL surgeries have come a long way and recovery times are generally greatly reduced than in years past.

Returning to sports after an ACL injury

You should only exercise after an ACL injury if your San Francisco orthopedic surgeon gives his approval. If you are too active too soon with a torn ACL, you can reinjure yourself or worsen your condition. If you have arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn ACL, expect the following from your recovery:

• Range-of-motion exercises with a brace on starting as soon as the wound is checked 
• Weight bearing with crutches implemented immediately 
• Crutches discontinued after 1–2 weeks
• Stationary bicycling beginning around the two-week mark  
• Outdoor bicycling and jogging allowed around the three-month mark
• Return to twisting, cutting, and jumping sports around the six-month mark 

Do You Need a Consultation with a San Francisco Orthopedic Surgeon?

If you think you have an ACL injury, contact our attentive office staff to get you in for an examination at 415-230-3667 or book an appointment online. Dr. Dickinson or Dr. Halbrecht will get you back to the activities you love as quickly as possible.