FREE Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear Essay (original) (raw)

ACL stands for "Anterior Cruciate Ligament." It is the tissue that connects the thighbone to the shinbone at the knee. It is also one of the most common ligaments in the body to get injured and is particularly common among athletes in football, basketball, soccer and even tennis. The tearing of the ACL affects the ligaments ability to keep the knee stable as the ACL is also the ligament that joins the femur and the tibia. ACL is one of the four main ligaments found in the knee. The other three ligaments found in the knee include the medial collateral, lateral collateral and posterior cruciate.
Approximately 200,000 ACL injuries take place annually. When a patient suffers from ACL injury they often have swelling on the knee and feel unstable alongside with a sharp pain. When looked at the cause of this injury we find out that almost 70 percent of ACL injuries are through non-contact mechanisms and the rest are caused by coming in contact with someone or an object. When looked at closely we see that the injury is associated with sudden and rapid deceleration, twisting, cutting or through side stepping movements. Due to the difference in muscular anatomy and conditioning of males and females, females are more likely suffer from ACL injuries. .
When the patient suffering from an ACL injury goes for examination the Physician usually performs an X-ray to see any sign of fracture on the knee as it is a high possibility when getting an ACL injury. Other examination may include an MRI, this is to evaluate the ACL and to also check if any injury is sustained by the other knee ligaments. A physical test may also be performed; one such includes the pivot shift test in which the knee is first straightened to make sure the tibia starts forward and then will shift back into the appropriate position in relation to the femur as the knee is bent again at about 30 degrees. When a patient suffers from a ACL injury they usually suffer from a combination of injury, as damage is also done to the meniscus articular cartilage or other secondary damage to nearby ligaments.

1. ACL Injuries in Athletes

ACL Injuries in Athletes The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) attaches the femur, which is the thighbone, and the tibia, which is the shin, together (northstar). ... The anterior cruciate ligament is the reason that the knee only has one pattern of movement. ... In the northstar web page it is stated that, "The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most important ligaments to athletes because of its main function, stabilization of the joint while decelerating." ... In an ACL tear, the knee swells almost immediately because of the broken blood vessels in the ligament ( Sechrest.com). ....

2. MCL Tear or Sprain

Tears resulting from rotation combined with side stress with the foot fixed result in an ACl and occaionally PCl tears. ... Grade two sprains involves moderate tearing or partial separation of ligament fibers. ... Also there will be slight to absent swelling unless the meniscus or the ACL has been torn. ... A grade three sprain means that a complete tear of the of the ligament has been sustained. ... This injury may lead to and Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear, or a Posterior Cruciate Ligament tear. ...

3. Sexism Goes Beyond The Workforce And Onto The Field (Knee Injuries)

The ACL is also known as the anterior cruciate ligament. ... Injuries in which a woman twists could result in either a tear or a stretch in the ACL. ... This brings unwanted stress on the knee stabilizer (the ACL) and the force could cause the ligament to tear. ... "Even if the hamstrings are strong, if they react slowly they may be unable to protect the anterior cruciate ligament in time to avoid injury- (Watson). ... This could tear the ACL or pop the meniscus. ...

4. High Risk Anatomy and Sports Injuries

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four ligaments in the knee that provides stabilization. An ACL tear or sprain occurs when a sudden change in direction or pivot occurs on a locked knee. The most common symptoms of an ACL tear would be a pop, followed by pain and swelling of the knee. ... I had the ball lined up to score a goal, but when I turned to kick, my foot planted deep into the grass as my body twisted in the opposite direction; it doesn't take much to "pop" the ACL, which is typically what happens when the ACL tears. ... It wasn't unt...

5. A.C.L.Injuries

The Posterior cruciate ligament runs from the anterior of the femur to the posterior of the tibia. The anterior cruciate ligament runs from the anterior of the tibia to the posterior of the femur. ... The cruciate ligaments can be referred to as the crucial ligaments of the knee, since they control several of the crucial motions (5). ... The First is the Anterior Drawer Test. ... In 147 cases with diagnosed chronic cruciate ligament in sufficiency, the results were positive in 79.6% of the patients (6). ...

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