A ligament is a strong band of connective tissue that attaches bones to each other, providing stability.
The ACL is one of four major knee ligaments. Along with the posterior cruciate ligament and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, the ACL helps provide stability for your knee. The ACL is located in front of your knee and, along with your posterior cruciate ligament, it forms a criss- cross shape across the lower surface of your thigh bone and the upper surface of your shin bone to stabilize them.
An anterior cruciate ligament injury is the over-stretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. A tear may be partial or complete.
When this ligament is stretched or pulled by your leg movements, it can rip. The size of the injury varies from a slight tear of connective tissue fibers to a complete tear and detachment.
The signs and symptoms of an ACL injury are not always the same, so it is important to see a doctor you experience any of the following:
Therapist can evaluate the ligaments of your knee with specialized maneuvers that test the stability of your knee, including:
Imaging Tests
You may also need to have an X-ray of your knee, which can identify bone fractures. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study may also be used to determine whether your ligament is torn, whether you have sustained damage to your cartilage, and to look for signs of other associated injuries in the knee.
Many people who experience an ACL tear start to feel better within a few weeks of the injury. Most people do not need surgery after an ACL tear, especially if the ACL was only partially torn. If you don’t play sports, and if you don’t have an unstable knee, then you may not need ACL surgery.
Physiotherapy-