The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) helps to connect the end of the thigh bone (femur) to the top of the shin bone (tibia). The ACL helps to “stabilize” the knee, or keeps it from “giving way”.
Although we usually hear about ACL injuries in adults playing sports such as football, in which the players are hit in the knee by another player, there is an increasing incidence of ACL injuries in kids and teenagers. This is because more kids and teenagers are playing competitive sports at a high level at a younger age.
Teenagers are more likely than kids to injure their ACLs. In addition, girls are 3-8 times more likely than boys to have this injury, when playing the same sport. Also, most ACL injuries actually happen when there is not a hit from …show more content…
They may not be able to put weight on that leg. They may note that the knee feels “unstable”.
Why are we so concerned about ACL injuries? Torn ACLs can lead to “giving way” of the knee, which can lead to more injuries. ACL injuries can negatively affect sports activities, especially in high level sports. They can also affect school performance in some children or may lead to the loss of a sports-related scholarship. ACL injuries are serious. If you think that your child or teenager has an ACL tear, let their coach, athletic trainer, pediatrician, or orthopedic surgeon know as soon as possible.
Although these injuries can be addressed with exercises (with physical therapists and athletic trainers) and/or with surgery (by an orthopedic surgeon), these injuries have a lot of consequences. If the athlete and her/his family decide not to have surgery, the child will be asked to restrict her/his activities, wear a brace, and participate in therapy with an athletic trainer or physical therapist. If the athlete and/ her/his family decide to have surgery, the athlete should not expect to return to sports for 7-9 …show more content…
The next phases add in activities that are related to sports, such as running and jumping. Not all athletes are the same in how fast they make progress.
As with all injuries, prevention is always better. This is especially true of ACL injuries, not only because of the immediate pain and issues with playing sports, but also because of what happens later on. At the time of the injury, other tissues in the knee, including the menisci (“shock absorbers”) and the articular cartilage (the tissue that lines the bones of the joint and allows the bones to easily move past each other when the joints move) can be damaged. Even in young people, the articular cartilage can’t heal. This leads to the arthritis of the knee, often 10-15 years after the injury.
Females are not only more likely to develop osteoarthritis after an ACL injury, they also do so sooner after the injury than do males. This happens even if the athlete has had surgery and completed the exercises that were discussed
Although we usually hear about ACL injuries in adults playing sports such as football, in which the players are hit in the knee by another player, there is an increasing incidence of ACL injuries in kids and teenagers. This is because more kids and teenagers are playing competitive sports at a high level at a younger age.
Teenagers are more likely than kids to injure their ACLs. In addition, girls are 3-8 times more likely than boys to have this injury, when playing the same sport. Also, most ACL injuries actually happen when there is not a hit from …show more content…
They may not be able to put weight on that leg. They may note that the knee feels “unstable”.
Why are we so concerned about ACL injuries? Torn ACLs can lead to “giving way” of the knee, which can lead to more injuries. ACL injuries can negatively affect sports activities, especially in high level sports. They can also affect school performance in some children or may lead to the loss of a sports-related scholarship. ACL injuries are serious. If you think that your child or teenager has an ACL tear, let their coach, athletic trainer, pediatrician, or orthopedic surgeon know as soon as possible.
Although these injuries can be addressed with exercises (with physical therapists and athletic trainers) and/or with surgery (by an orthopedic surgeon), these injuries have a lot of consequences. If the athlete and her/his family decide not to have surgery, the child will be asked to restrict her/his activities, wear a brace, and participate in therapy with an athletic trainer or physical therapist. If the athlete and/ her/his family decide to have surgery, the athlete should not expect to return to sports for 7-9 …show more content…
The next phases add in activities that are related to sports, such as running and jumping. Not all athletes are the same in how fast they make progress.
As with all injuries, prevention is always better. This is especially true of ACL injuries, not only because of the immediate pain and issues with playing sports, but also because of what happens later on. At the time of the injury, other tissues in the knee, including the menisci (“shock absorbers”) and the articular cartilage (the tissue that lines the bones of the joint and allows the bones to easily move past each other when the joints move) can be damaged. Even in young people, the articular cartilage can’t heal. This leads to the arthritis of the knee, often 10-15 years after the injury.
Females are not only more likely to develop osteoarthritis after an ACL injury, they also do so sooner after the injury than do males. This happens even if the athlete has had surgery and completed the exercises that were discussed