What causes an ACL tear?
The ACL runs diagonally through the knee joint, connecting the femur (thigh bone) with the tibia (shinbone). This ligament gives the knee rotational stability and holds the shinbone in place, stopping it from moving away from the thigh bone.
ACL tears typically occur during movements that are common in sports like football, soccer, and basketball. These movements include:
- Making a sudden stop
- Changing direction quickly
- Landing a jump incorrectly
- Pivoting and sidestepping
- Stopping abruptly while running
- Overextending your knee while running
Though not as common, the ACL may also tear if you take a direct hit to the side of your knee.
What symptoms indicate I may need an ACL repair?
You may hear a popping sound as the ligament tears. Many people also experience:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Knee instability
- Loss of movement
- Difficulty walking
- Knee buckling
- Tenderness along the joint
About half of those who suffer an ACL injury also sustain other injuries in the knee joint, often tearing the meniscus and other ligaments.
What happens during an ACL repair?
If you have a partial ACL tear and the knee joint is stable, you may only need nonsurgical treatment. But if you have joint instability or you want to regain maximum ligament strength so you can return to sports, you will need surgery to repair the ligament.
Surgeons don’t stitch together a torn ACL. They rebuild the ligament using a piece of tendon taken from another part of your body. They anchor the tendon in the thigh and shinbone, recreating the position and angle of the original ligament.
Do I need physical therapy to recover from an ACL repair?
Yes, physical therapy is essential for the best possible recovery. Immediately after surgery, physical therapy restores circulation, promotes ACL healing, reduces inflammation, and helps to get rid of your pain.
Your ongoing therapy begins with a gradual return to bearing weight and regaining mobility. After you have full flexion and extension in the knee joint, your therapist adds exercises to start rebuilding strength and balance.
If you want to return to sports, the team at Crom Rehabilitation creates a sport-specific recovery program to ensure you’re at peak performance before returning to play.
When recovering from ACL repair, you can depend on the experts at Crom Rehabilitation to get you back in shape. Call or book an appointment online today.
We offer physical therapy for ACL repairs, rotator cuff repairs, joint replacements, and other orthopedic surgeries. We also treat neck and low back pain and more. Call to book your appointment today.
We are the best physical therapy practice located in Cypress, Pearland, and Houston, Texas. We offer Pelvic floor therapy, treat lower back pain relief, and are a physical therapy pain clinic here to help your needs. Call us to book your appointment today.
