Learn more about ACL injuries

We have all heard of football players having ACL tear. In recent memories both Tom Brady and  Peyton Manning had to have reconstructive surgery of their ACL’s. Back in June of 2010,  Yuri Foreman also inured his ACL Vs Miguel Cotto in the heat of battle.

 The ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament, is located in the knee capsule. It helps prevent the forward movement of the lower leg and support the leg when it is fully extended (straight). It also helps limit twisting of the knee as well as side to side motion. No matter the sport, it is usually injured during a sharp cut or pivot. In sports such as football the injury can happen during a tackle, but given the right circumstances, it can be torn with just a twist like in basketball or boxing. 

 As in any ligament or tendon injury you can have one of three degrees of injury. First degree is just a mild sprain where the muscle is over stretched. In second degree, the muscle is partially torn and really tender and painful. In third degree sprains, the tendon is completely torn and most times no pain is felt because all nerve endings are severed. It is also, important to note that with an ACL tear other structures like the meniscus and overlying adductor and hamstring muscles can be involved as well. In such cases where the ACL, MCL and medial meniscus is involved we commonly refer to the injury as “The Terrible Triad.”

 In most cases of ACL tears a normal person can live with the tear. Rehab exercises and therapy can be done to strengthen the muscles around the knee to take up the slack for the torn ACL. The problem comes when your dealing with a professional athlete. The forces needed during sports, especially for a boxer who needs to bend and twist,or slip and slide to get around the ring the ACL is important and will need to be repaired.

There are many surgical options when repairing the ACL. It is usually up to the surgeon and his team. This goes back to my always saying,” Medicine is not only a science but an art.” Some doctors work miracles under different circumstances. Depending on how and where the ACL is torn it may need to be replaced. Replacements are usually taken from the athletes patella or hamstring tendon and screwed and stapled into place. This may lead to a theoretical problem of weakening the muscle/tendon you just took the replacement from. In other cases cadavers are chosen to repair the ACL but compatibility and contamination can be a factor. Finally, there are synthetic options. In any case rehab usually takes 4-6 months. Different healing methods once again can be used to speed up the process. Most recently infusion of the joint with red blood cells has been shown to speed up tendon and ligament damage since both of these have a poor blood supply. Laser therapy has also shown to be a good modality to help speed things along.

It is important to note that a cast will be needed to stabilize that leg during the healing process. This will be followed by a knee brace and therapy. Therapy would start with strengthening exercises because surely the leg muscles with have atrophied ( shrunk) due to being immobilized. Once strength is regained, balance exercises will be added; followed by cutting and pivoting exercises to finish things off. 

Dr. Pietro Baio DC
Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.
7112 Ave U
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(917)-309-5464
DrBaio@PEChiro.com
PEChiro.com