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Sports Med Article CategoriesACL Symptoms - How Patients Describe this Knee Injury
ACL Injury Symptoms
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The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a tough, non-stretchable rope-like structure that connects the thighbone (femur) to the leg bone (tibia).
 Click here for more info on ACL Surgery as well as a You Tube Video. |
There are two cruciate ligaments that crisscross in the knee joint. The ACL attaches “anterior” (in front) to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ACL is more commonly injured than the PCL, and the ACL is the most common knee ligament injury requiring surgery treatment.
How ACL Injuries Happen
People often tear the ACL when they participate in basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis and any sport or work activity that requires cutting, jumping, pivoting, changing direction rapidly, slowing down from running or landing from a jump.
Here are the symptoms patients often describe when they have an ACL Injury:
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The ACL Knee Symptoms Patients Describe
You might hear a popping noise when your ACL tears. Your knee gives out and soon begins to hurt and swell.
When injured, the ACL can unravel like a braided rope or avulse (separate or tear off) from the femur or tibia. It will not heal on its own.
Each time your knee "gives way", other structures such as cartilage and menisci can be damaged, leading to early arthritis.
It is key to note that if the ACL is not reconstructed, the majority of active patients may experience repeat episodes of their knee “giving-way.” A thorough evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee ligament injuries is needed as soon as possible after injury. As the ACL tears and the knee slides out of place, other structures within the knee are often injured.
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