| CHRIS
SERVANT |
| ANTERIOR CRUCIATE
LIGAMENT (ACL) RECONSTRUCTION |
What is the Anterior
Cruciate Ligament (ACL)? |
| The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is
one of the four major ligaments that stabilise the knee joint.
Ligaments are strong bands of fibrous tissue that hold joints
together. About as thick as a little finger, the ACL passes
across the centre of the knee joint and connects the end of
the femur (thigh bone) with the top of the tibia (shin
bone). |
| The ACL prevents the outer part of the
tibia from sliding forward during twisting
actions. |
 |
How is the ACL
injured? |
| The ACL is commonly injured whilst
playing running ball sports (such as football, rugby or
volleyball) or whilst skiing. During ball sports the knee
twists on sidestepping, pivoting or landing from a jump.
During skiing the ACL may be injured during a fall at low or
high speeds and often the binding fails to
release. |
| The ACL either tears or pulls away from
the bone. Normally the tear is a complete tear. |
| Typically patients hear or feel a "pop"
and this is accompanied by pain. Usually, but not always, the
knee swells rapidly as a result of bleeding within the joint
from the torn ends of the ACL. As a rule, a torn ACL does not
heal. |
| Sometimes the medial (inner) ligament
is also partly torn (or sprained) and pain can be felt on the
inner side of the knee. Additional injuries include a tear of
a cartilage (or meniscus) and damage to the joint
surfaces. |
 |
|
