Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• An anterior cruciate (KROO-she-at) ligament (ACL) injury is a partial or complete tear of the ACL. A ligament is a strong elastic tissue that connects one bone to another. The ACL is located in the knee and connects the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone) and keeps the knee stable. An ACL injury may be caused by a hard blow on the side of the knee. It may also happen when the knee is forcefully twisted with the foot placed firmly on the ground. An ACL injury may occur in sports, such as football or basketball, car accidents, or falls. When the ACL is injured, other ligaments or other parts of the knee may also be injured.
  
  
• A pop, snap, or tear may be heard or felt when your ACL is injured. You may have sudden swelling or pain and feel your knee is giving way. Over time, your affected knee may become more unstable even during normal activities. Caregivers may check for an ACL injury by looking for any abnormal knee movements. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an x-ray, or arthroscopy may be done to look for ACL tears. Treatment will depend on how severe the ACL injury is and whether other ligaments are affected. Surgery may be needed for a bad ACL tear with other injuries. With treatment, such as medicine and surgery, you will usually be able to return to your previous activities.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

RISKS:

Treatment of an ACL injury may cause unpleasant side effects. You could get an infection or bleed too much with surgery. Sometimes, even after surgery, the knee may not go back to the way it was before. Wearing a knee brace may cause discomfort and limit activity. If left untreated, an ACL injury may cause weakness of your knee or problems with walking. You may have trouble going back to your usual activities, including sports. The chances of treating ACL injuries are better when they are found and treated as soon as possible. Call your caregiver if you have concerns about your injury, medicines, or care.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE:

Informed consent:

A consent form is a legal document that explains the tests, treatments, or procedures that you may need. Informed consent means you understand what will be done and can make decisions about what you want. You give your permission when you sign the consent form. You can have someone sign this form for you if you are not able to sign it. You have the right to understand your medical care in words you know. Before you sign the consent form, understand the risks and benefits of what will be done. Make sure all your questions are answered.

Medicine:

• Medicines to treat pain, swelling, or fever: These medicines are safe for most people to use. However, they can cause serious problems when used by people with certain medical conditions. Tell caregivers if you have liver or kidney disease or a history of bleeding in your stomach.
  
  

Physical therapy:

You may need to see a physical therapist to teach you special exercises. These exercises help improve movement and decrease pain. Physical therapy can also help improve strength and decrease your risk for loss of function.

Tests:

You may have one or more of the following:

• Arthroscopy: Caregivers may want to look inside your knee to check for signs of an ACL injury. Caregivers make a small incision (cut) in your knee and insert a scope through it. The scope is a long tube with a magnifying glass, a camera, and a light on the end.
  
  
• Magnetic resonance imaging: This is also called MRI. During the MRI, pictures of your knee are taken. An MRI may be used to look for ACL tears or other injuries.
  
  
• X-ray: This is a picture of the bones and tissues in your knee joint. A joint is where two bones meet. X-rays cannot show an ACL injury but may show other problems, such as fractures (broken bones) or arthritis. You may be given dye as a shot into your joint before the x-ray. This dye will help your joint show up better on the x-ray. A joint x-ray with dye is called an arthrogram or arthrography. You may need more than one x-ray of your joint.

Treatment options:

You may need surgery if you have a bad ACL tear together with other injuries. This may include injuries to other ligaments, a broken bone, or a meniscal (shock absorbers between knee bones) tear.

• Repair: An ACL tear may be repaired by reattaching the torn ligament.
  
  
• Reconstruction: Reconstruction (rebuilding) of the ligament may be needed if it cannot be repaired. Caregivers may replace your injured ACL with tissue taken from another part of your body or from a donor. These tissues may include a tendon (cord that connects muscles to the bones) or a muscle. If a large portion of bone is pulled off with the torn ligament, it may be reattached.

Copyright © 2012. Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury (Inpatient Care)