Getting to Know the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
A ligament is made up of strong tissues that connect bones together. The anterior cruciate ligament or what many abbreviate as ACL is located at the center of the knee joint and extends diagonally along the back of the bones from the thighs to the shins. This ligament functions to regulate the range of movement of the knees and shins at different angles, and severe twisting force can tear the anterior cruciate ligament, leading to loss of stability to the knees that keeps the tibia from moving forward below the knees or from twisting.
Injury that causes tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most common types of knee injuries and account for about 40% of sports-related injuries. It often happens while playing sports such as skiing, tennis, squats, soccer and rugby. If the meniscus or joint cartilage is not treated, excessive force can lead to joint damage from osteoarthritis.
What are the symptoms of an anterior cruciate ligament tear?
- A sensation of something springing inside the leg.
- Deep pain inside the knee along with knee swelling and knee instability.
- An audible pop can be heard when the anterior cruciate ligament tears.
- The affected knee loses function when injured.
- The knee becomes swollen immediately or within 24 hours.
- Severe pain prevents engagement in other activities.
- There is swelling and bleeding inside the knee.
Remarks: Items 3-7 require an urgent visit to a medical specialist in order to receive treatment as soon as possible.
What causes torn anterior cruciate ligament?
A torn anterior cruciate ligament is usually the result of an impact injury, which is a common injury in athletes, especially soccer players. In ordinary people, if they have to exercise or engage in physical movements that involve rapid turning of the body and they lose balance and fall, or if they job and quickly raise their feet, this injury can occur, for example, when playing basketballs, playing badminton or skiing.
This injury can also occur without any impact. It is usually caused by tight and inflexible or weak muscles, which lead to an injury of the knee. However, this usually happens gradually or cumulatively rather than an impact followed by sudden tearing.
What is the first aid for torn anterior cruciate ligament?
When there is a sudden injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, first aid can be administered by lying still without attempting to move and to wait for someone to help transport the injured to the hospital.
If there is an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament and it is uncertain whether the anterior cruciate ligament is torn or not, apply a cold compress as soon as possible first and then wait a while before trying to move the knee, bend the knee and extend the knee by gradually putting weight on the knee. Try to observe signs of injuries or swelling, which require immediate medical attention. As for cases where pain is so severe that the person cannot move or the knee is disfigured or twisted, do not push, press, pull or adjust the knee back into place without help. Instead, we recommend bracing the injury with wood or another available device and then binding the wound firmly with cloth before transporting the patient to the hospital.
Treatment for Torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Patients with torn anterior cruciate ligament require surgical treatment along with about 6 months of physical therapy. If a torn anterior cruciate ligament is not urgently treated, the knee can deteriorate prematurely.
Today, surgery is frequently used as the treatment method for torn anterior cruciate ligament. The treatment goal is to prevent the shin bones from moving excessively forward, or else harm can occur to the cartilage, in addition to restoring the normal function of the knee cap.
During treatment, doctors will remove the torn ligament and attach a new ligament. Treatment for torn anterior cruciate ligament today is very different from the past, since techniques have been improved to allow patients to recover much more rapidly with video-assisted surgery, which is a treatment technique widely accepted internationally.
There are many benefits to using video-assisted surgery to treat joints in the body. With video-assisted surgery, small openings are created to insert a camera into the joint along with surgical instruments. Moreover, the inserted camera will have a high resolution to produce very clear images that are transmitted to a monitor for doctors to see. Thus, this leads to accurate treatment while minimizing damage to internal organs. With this method, it is also unnecessary to cut the tissues surrounding the joint to reach it like normal open surgery. As a result, there is less damage from surgery and repair procedure. Video-assisted surgery also reduces bleeding in the patient during surgery while reducing risk of infections and complications from surgery and hospitalization time.
Preparations before Surgery
- Fast from water and food for about 6-8 hours before surgery.
- Stop taking aspirin and other anti-coagulation drugs for at least 1 week before surgery. The patient should inform the doctor about every medication being used by the patient at the time.
- Undergoing physical therapy before surgery can help restore normal knee function sooner. Patients who undergo surgery when the knee is in pain and swollen often experience difficulties in restoring knee function after surgery.
