Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
What is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury?
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) lies deep within the knee joint, connecting the thigh bone with the shin bone. Its function is to prevent excessive forward movement of the shin in relation to the thigh and also to prevent excessive rotation at the knee joint. The ACL can be injured in several different ways during football, most notably by landing from a jump onto a bent knee then twisting, or landing on a knee that is over-extended. Direct contact on the knee from opponents can also cause damage to the ACL.
How to prevent an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury
The best way to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is to stretch and strengthen the leg muscles, especially the front and back muscles of the thigh (quadriceps and hamstrings).
You may help prevent ACL injuries if you:
- Avoid wearing shoes with cleats in contact sports.
- Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
- Avoid sports that involve lots of twisting and contact.
- If you have already had an ACL injury, you can avoid another one by:
- Strengthening the injured knee through rehabilitation (rehab) exercises.
- Changing your sports techniques to avoid motions that might stress the injured knee.
- Changing your lifestyle to avoid sports that have a high risk of injuring your knee further, such as skiing, football, soccer, or basketball.
What should you do if you suffer an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury?
All ACL injuries require the opinion of an orthopaedic consultant. During the immediate aftermath of an ACL injury the PRICE treatment protocol is most effective. This is an acronym for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
- Protection: The injured tissues should be protected from further damage by using a knee brace.
- Rest: Rest from sports is essential, but even excessive walking should be avoided.
- Ice: The Aircast Knee Cryocuff is the most effective method of providing ice therapy and is the professional's choice. It can provide continuous ice cold water and compression for 6 hours – and significantly reduce knee pain and swelling.
- Compression: Compression can be provided by the intermittent use of a bandage to reduce knee swelling and relieve pain.
- Elevation: To relieve knee pain and prevent knee swelling, the knee is elevated above waist height.
