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Types of ACL Injuries

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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) , is the ligament in the knee joint which connects the thigh bone with the shin bone and also provided stability and proper movement and normal functioning for a knee joint. An ACL injury may lead to various types of discomfort levels depending on the severity of the damage to the ligament. The type of injury to the ligament also will point towards the time it would take to heal, the type of treatment required and also the extent of discomfort that it would cause to the person. An ACL injury of the minor type may let the patient do his daily routines without much ado but a major type of injury could put you out of action for long and the pain could be of very excruciating levels. An ACL injury of minor or major type needs to be diagnosed immediately and proper care and treatment to be provided on an urgent basis as even a minor injury to the ligament could worsen over time and make it a major problem enough to be brought to the surgery table. So the imp...

Will my knee ever be the same after ACL surgery?

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The ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is one of the two ligaments that connect the shinbone to the thighbone and also stabilizes the knee joint. Most of the injuries that happen to ACL are mostly during rigorous sporting activities. This injury can be inflicted in normal routine activities too. Some minor ACL injuries could be recuperated with physical therapy and some rest. But those of a serious nature like a complete tear need surgery and reconstruction of the ligament fully with a graft.  The arthroscopic surgery is minimally invasive and done under general anesthesia and so the patient will be unconscious during the procedure. During the procedure, the surgeon removes the damaged ligament and replaces it with a graft. It could come from the patient’s own body or a deceased donor. The graft is fixed to the thighbone and the shinbone in place of the torn ACL. The graft will serve as a base for the new ligament tissues to grow. The patient can go home the same day after an ACL re...

Dos and Dont's After ACL and MCL Tear and Surgery.

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An ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) or MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) are two ligaments that have a major role in giving stability to the knee and also helps the knee function properly. The ligaments connect the thigh bone to the shin bone and keep the bones in the proper place when in motion. These ligaments are prone to injury if you are involved in active sports due to the high amount of wear and tear they are subjected to. It is not only sports activities that can be damage an ACL or an MCL, it could also be damaged due to bearing of heavy weight, sudden movements of the knee during daily routines or age-related wear and tear. These ligaments are crucial in the working of the knee properly and could cause severe discomfort and hampering of normal functions and movements of the knee. This could be very painful and can hinder very normal easy daily routines like walking too. These injuries may sometimes be so minor that they would be healed by proper rest and physical therapy. The...

How can meniscus injury be treated? Does all meniscus injury require surgery?

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Knee injuries are quite nagging and could tend to become painful to the point that you may also have difficulty in simple activities like sitting or walking. The Meniscus tear one of the most common of all knee injuries. Any injury to the C-shaped cartilage could be quite debilitating and could make your knee feel weak along with being painful. The main function of the meniscus is to give cushion between the thigh bone and the shinbone and also stability to the knee. A good twist or accident could cause a tear in the cartilage. A broken piece of the cartilage could also cause a major locking in the knee with it lodging in place which could restrict the normal movement of the knee.  Meniscus tear is common in contact and non-contact sports which require jumping or twisting actions. This does not mean that the tear would happen only to sports persons but it could easily happen to a normal person mostly due to wear and tear, aging or sudden actions of the knee. People above the age o...

What you should expect after ACL Injury Surgery & precautions to be taken after surgery.

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Injured ACL mostly needs surgery. Once you are through with your surgery, The Recovery phase starts. This may a really uphill task if you are not doing the things as the expert has advised you to do. The mantra to a complete recovery after ACL surgery is - just do as the doctor says.   ACL stretches diagonally across the middle of the knee, helping it in rotational stability of the knee and controls the back and forth movement of the Knee. Any injury to this ligament can possibly be rectified only through surgery. There are three major questions lurking in the minds of any patient who intends to get an ACL reconstruction surgery done or has just finished one: 1.What will be the Recovery time? 2.What is the Fast way to recover? 3.What should be done after ACL surgery?   Recovery Time : It depends on multiple factors like Age, previous activity level, Muscle strength, amount of time spent for exercise etc. A very practical answer to this question is that it will t...

What is ACL? How you get Injured?

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About ACL and how an ACL injury is inflicted.  Your knee is a very complex joint with a lot of parts coming into play when in function. There are muscles attached to the knee, major bones of the leg are also attached to them, number of cartilages which assist in movement and provides cushion between the parts and also ligaments and tendons.  Any injury to any of these parts will cause knee pain in various degrees and types. Every big or small injury needs to be attended to immediately to avoid aggravation and complications, later on. Knee injuries vary in degree and intensity and the treatment would be done according to the severity. Some injuries may be treated with just medication and exercise but some of the serious nature could even require surgery.   One such delicate but serious injury is ACL. ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is one of the major ligaments in your knee. This ligament connects your thigh bone and the shin bone. This ligament also provides stabil...

ACL injury & when should you consult a sports surgeon.

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What are the symptoms of ACL injury & when should you consult a sports surgeon. Symptoms of ACL injury and the best professional to be consulted. Who to consult when you have an ACL injury.   ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury is commonly a sports-related injury to persons who involve in a lot of sudden movements like jumping, landing, turning, sudden stopping. This may also be caused due to heavy manual work.  This injury is very common with sportsmen playing soccer, basketball, football, and skiing. This may also happen in manual laborers, carrying or shifting heavy load. Road accidents, misstep or imbalance during dancing, twisting injuries while ascending or descending stairs, and hurting your knee during household activities can also lead to an ACL injury.   An ACL injury can lead to the following conditions: A popping sound can be heard or felt in the knee when the injury happens. Inability to continue activity due to severe pain. Rapid sw...