ACL Tear

What causes an ACL tear?

Your ACL connects your thigh bone to your shinbone, where it fills the essential job of keeping the bones stable and preventing excessive shinbone rotation.

You can suffer an ACL tear from a strong blow to the outside of your knee. But this type of injury most often happens during athletic activities when you make movements such as:

• Suddenly stopping while running
• Pivoting or sidestepping
• Quickly changing directions
• Landing a jump incorrectly
• Overextending your knee

Your risk of an ACL tear is highest in sports like basketball, soccer, football, and downhill skiing.

What are the symptoms of an ACL tear?

You may feel or hear a pop when your ACL ruptures. You also experience symptoms such as:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Knee instability
• Knee buckling
• Joint tenderness
• Difficulty moving or using the knee

If you have any of these symptoms, it's important to schedule a knee evaluation at Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Without prompt treatment, you could develop ongoing joint instability.

You may also need treatment for other tissues in the knee joint. The same injury that tears your ACL often damages other ligaments or causes a meniscus tear.

How is an ACL tear diagnosed?

Your provider talks with you about your symptoms, how the injury happened, and examines your knee. Closely evaluating the structures in your knee and comparing them with the uninjured knee is often enough to identify an ACL tear. 

However, they may need to take X-rays to rule out a fracture. Or you may need an MRI so your provider can evaluate the extent of the soft tissue damage.

How is an ACL tear treated?

Whenever possible, Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine treats an ACL tear with nonsurgical methods such as bracing and physical therapy. However, they may talk with you about surgery, depending on the severity of your injury and your future activity plans.

ACL tears are notorious for causing permanent knee instability. If you want to return to intense activities or competitive sports that demand a strong knee, you can expect surgery to reconstruct the ligament.

During ACL reconstruction, your surgeon replaces the ligament with a healthy tendon. They securely anchor the tendon in your bones, recreating the position and strength of the original ligament.

If you have questions about treatment for an ACL tear or you need to schedule an exam, call the nearest Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine office or book an appointment online today.