What is an ACL tear?
acltear.jpgThe ACL is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. There are more than four major ligaments that essentially hold the knee together. Without one or more of these ligaments, the knee would be loose and you would feel like your knee was giving way or buckling. The ACL is the most commonly torn knee ligament. The ACL is usually torn as the result of a non-contact twisting injury. You will usually feel or hear a pop, the knee will buckle, and within a short period of time, significant swelling will occur.
An ACL tear is a relatively common sporting injury affecting the knee and is characterized by tearing of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament of the knee (ACL). A ligament is a strong band of connective tissue which attaches bone to bone. The ACL is situated within the knee joint and is responsible for joining the back of the femur (thigh bone) to the front of the tibia (shin bone) (figure 1). The ACL is one of the most important ligaments of the knee, giving it stability. The ACL achieves this role by preventing excessive twisting, straightening of the knee (hyperextension) and forward movement of the tibia on the femur. When these movements are excessive and beyond what the ACL can withstand, tearing to the ACL occurs. This condition is known as an ACL tear and may range from a small partial ACL tear resulting in minimal pain, to a complete rupture of the ACL resulting in significant pain and disability, and, potentially requiring surgery. An ACL tear can be graded as follows: • Grade 1 AC
