An ACL injury  is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament, which helps connect the femur to the tibia. In medical language, the femur is known as the thigh bone, while the tibia is known as the shin bone. Therefore, this injury occurs in the leg. ACL injury, which occurs for many reasons, is caused by trauma. As soon as this injury occurs, a popping sound is heard in the knee. Therefore, a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, one of the most important ligaments in the knee, is called an ACL injury. Since this ligament is very important for a person to be able to move, it must be treated if it is damaged. The treatment is determined according to the level of the anterior cruciate ligament.

ACL Injury Symptoms

A traumatic twisting of the knee causes an ACL injury. This injury disturbs the person with its symptoms in a short time. Changes in the knee area, pain, and restrictions in the movement are among the most important symptoms of ACL injury. In addition, in severe damage, there is a rupture sound from the knee. Other  symptoms of the injury  in question are as follows:

• Knee swelling
• Bursting sound in the knee as soon as there is a physical impact
• Severe pain in the knee
• Inability to move
• Losing balance while walking
• Knee redness and bruising

All these symptoms make it easier to diagnose an ACL injury. In case of symptoms that cause pain and discomfort, you should consult a doctor. Furthermore, if all these symptoms are accompanied by a locking of the knee, this may also indicate a meniscus tear. If it is a mild ACL injury, it may go away on its own within a few days. However, if it’s a severe injury, it won’t go away and the  pain and loss of movement  will increase. Therefore, if the above symptoms are moderate or severe in this injury, you should see a doctor.

Causes Of ACL Injury 

Medically speaking, an ACL injury occurs when the  anterior cruciate ligaments  in the knee joint are torn and damaged. This injury usually occurs due to sudden movements. It is especially likely to occur in certain sports. The common causes of an ACL injury are the following:

• Sudden stop or change direction
• Impact on the knee area in football, basketball, and similar sports
• Sudden rotation of the knee
• A sudden change of direction and speed

ACL injuries usually occur in athletes, but especially in women. This is because these causes usually involve the movements of athletes. Damage to the knee ligament involves a tear in the tissue, so in some cases, it can be a serious injury. Most of the time, it’s possible for an athlete to suffer an ACL injury if they play soccer with the right shoes and ground. This injury also occurs in skiing because of sudden movements.

Therefore, this condition, which can occur for many reasons, can affect a person’s physical condition and reduce the quality of daily life. For this reason, a doctor should be consulted, especially if there is severe pain or multiple symptoms.

Treatment For ACL Injury 

Treatment for ACL injury is preceded by a medical examination for diagnosis. The orthopedic and traumatology specialist will check the damage to the knee. This injury is diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, or x-rays. With these methods, the injury is detected and diagnosed immediately. These treatment methods not only detect anterior cruciate ligament tears, but also meniscus tears and other ligament injuries.

If an ACL injury is diagnosed, two types of treatment are chosen depending on the level of injury, the patient’s age, and health status:  surgical or non-surgical treatment.  These treatments are also divided into different methods and applied to the patient.

Non-surgical treatment of ACL injury is applied when the wound level is minimal. It also includes different treatment methods. These include rest, ice application, bandaging and physical therapy. A mild ACL injury may resolve on its own. Therefore, it is important to rest in the first process. In this process, ice applications to the knee area reduce edema and alleviate the injury.

Apart from surgical treatment, physical therapy is a method that starts after the swelling and pain in the knee area subsides. The aim of this treatment method, which is applied individually, is to strengthen and restore the knee muscles. Especially athletes who do not prefer surgical treatment prefer physical therapy. Physical therapy reduces pain and swelling and allows movement. It also strengthens the knee muscles by minimizing the risk of re-injury. In all these aspects, physical therapy is applied by taking into account the level of injury, the patient’s health, and personal life situation. This treatment gives positive results when done regularly and correctly.

Surgical treatment  can be performed if the anterior cruciate ligaments in the knee area are severely torn or damaged. This treatment method can usually be used in young people. Arthroscopic surgery is used in the surgical treatment of ACL injuries. This surgical method aims to repair the anterior cruciate ligament. Tissue grafts are used in arthroscopic surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament. The tissue grafts in question are the following:

• Patellar tendon
• Allograft
• Quadriceps tendon
• Tendons behind the knee
• Synthetic bonds

The specialist orthopedic and traumatology doctor decides on one of these tissues and uses it in the surgical treatment method. The  surgical treatment of an ACL  injury reduces the risk of re-injury. At the same time, the person can get back to his or her life shortly after the healing process. However, the rehabilitation process should be started after the operation period. Rehabilitation, which provides strength and endurance, is a very useful method, especially for athletes.

As a result, ACL injury is an ailment  that restricts a person’s movement  when it occurs in moderate to high severity. This condition can occur in children, young people, and adults. It can resolve spontaneously with some treatment methods, but in some cases, it requires surgical treatment. Depending on the treatment method determined by the doctor, it is possible to recover in a short time and return to daily activities.