Facts about ACL Injuries

Facts about ACL Injuries
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Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) typically affect people who play sports. They are the most common knee injuries related to sports. In the United States, approximately one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand people suffer from ACL injuries. Women suffer from them more often than men, although the reasons why are not readily known. Anatomical differences may be the cause; hormones, inherent strength, and conditioning are also possible culprits. People who wear cleats when they play sports may be more likely to have ACL injuries.

Causes of ACL Injuries

Playing sports aside, many things can cause these injuries. They occur when the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee tears due to extreme stretching. The ligament has limited elasticity.

Activities which contain a lot of cutting or pivoting generally cause ACL injuries. The action stretches the ligament beyond its normal limits. This leads to significant tearing.

Prevention of ACL Injuries

There are a number of ways to prevent ACL injuries, most of which are surprisingly easy. Unequivocally, the best way to prevent them is to stretch the leg muscles, especially before prolonged or rough activity. The quadriceps and hamstrings, the front and back muscles located in the thigh, must especially be stretched.

Not wearing cleats can also help prevent ACL injuries, especially in contact sports. For women, extremely high heeled shoes should be avoided. Although contact with other individuals generally does not cause ACL injuries, athletes are also advised to avoid too much contact, as well as sports which involve a lot of twisting motions.

Treatments of ACL Injuries

Unfortunately, there is no one, single way to treat ACL injuries. The treatment depends primarily on the patient. Many choose rehabilitation rather than surgery. Because rehabilitation for ACL injuries involves a lot of stretching and care, this is usually one of the best options. Surgical reconstruction is another option. Whether or not a patient has surgery typically depends on the severity of the damage to the ligament.

Prevention for ACL Injuries

Because ACL injuries affect the ligament and the muscles of the leg, precaution remains the best form of prevention. Staying away from the acts which tend to cause ACL injuries is the best course of action. Stretching before exercise or activity in order to strengthen the leg muscles and ligaments remains the best way to avoid incurring this type of injury.

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