Understanding ACL Injuries: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

In sports, injuries are not uncommon. Therefore, there is no doubt that injury can happen, but some injuries can be severe, and it takes proper treatment to recover. ACL is one such Injury which occurs in the knee region. In today’s blog, you’ll learn everything about an ACL injury, including its causes, grades, symptoms and treatments. So, let’s get straight into it. 

What is an ACL injury?

To begin with, you must know what ACL and its injury is. ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament, which is a ligament in the knee area of the human body. This ligament is responsible for the stability of the knee movement. 

To understand it in a simpler way, you can assume it is a rubber band that holds the upper (femur) and lower (shinbone) bones of the knee together and supports the natural movement of the knee. So it helps a person to walk, jump and do any other activity while not leading to a motion that is not good for them, like knee bending forward. 

Now, an injury related to this ligament is called ACL injury, in which this ligament gets a tear. Due to this injury, one receives pain and other problems like not being able to walk, run or do any other activity. This ACL injury has multiple grades, which are categorized based on the severity of the tear. So, let’s have a look at these grades of ACL tears. 

 

 

The Grades of ACL Injury

There are four grades in which an ACL tear can be categorized. These grades are put in increasing order of impact and severity. Here are these three grades of ACL tears and their descriptions. 

• Grade 1 ACL Tear

The grade 1 ACL tear is the mildest tear, and in some cases, it is better to say that the ligament gets stretched instead of getting torn. Due to this minor tear or stretch, the patient feels tenderness and swelling along with pain. Moreover, it can also cause difficulty in walking and doing other activities. Since it’s the mildest ACL injury, it typically gets healed faster without needing any surgical procedures. Getting adequate rest and using techniques like physical therapy or RICE can help with recovery. 

• Grade 2 ACL Tear 

In the grade 2 ACL injury, the ligament gets partially torn. Due to this type of tear, the pain becomes more significant and leads to visible swelling. The knee joint also becomes unstable, making it difficult to move your leg even a little bit. That’s why it is important to look for a doctor for the treatment so that recovery can be done adequately and further injuries can be minimized. 

• Grade 3 ACL Tear

In grade 3, the ligament gets completely torn. Now, there’s no doubt that the pain has become increasingly high. This injury needs an immediate look after from a doctor who can help you manage the pain First and start the treatment as soon as possible. 

• Grade 4 ACL Tear

The last grade of ACL tear happens when there’s a complete tear along with contraction. Due to the contracted ACL, the knee joint becomes highly unstable, making it almost impossible to walk. 

These are the four grades of ACL tears. All these grades are categorized based on the severity of damage to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. In some cases, the impact can also be more severe if the damage extends to meniscal cartilage.

What are the Symptoms of ACL Injury?

Being an internal injury, the ACL is hard to detect on your own. However, if you are a sports person or even if you are not, you should know the symptoms of ACL injury. These symptoms will help you identify if it’s a ligament tear or just a common Injury. 

• Audible Pop Sound

One of the most unique symptoms of ACL injury is a pop sound. This sound can be differentiated from any other type of sound easily. However, it may not be heard in every ACL injury as it typically occurs in severe tears like those of grades 2 and 3. If you hear this sound at the time of injury, then there is a high chance that you will have an ACL tear. 

• Immediate Pain

In the case of an ACL injury, the pain starts to feel right after the injury, while in some other types of injury, it takes a few seconds before you start feeling pain. 

• Swelling 

As soon as you get injured, the swelling will start immediately and capture all the muscles around the knee. The swelling also differs in terms of stiffness. It’s because swelling in case of ACL tear is caused by internal bleeding, making it stiffer than usual swelling. 

What are the Causes of ACL Injury?

Let’s answer the question of what causes an ACL injury. While there can be a range of reasons for an ACL injury, the most common ones are sports injuries. 

In sports like football, basketball, tennis, and many more, there can be some movements that are against the natural movement of the body. For example, sudden Stoppage while running or a quick change of direction can cause ligament tear. Moreover, not being able to properly land after a jump also causes ACL tear. 

Along with these reasons, any other type of shock to the knee can also cause ACL injury. 

What are the Treatment Options for ACL Injury?

There are multiple ways to treat an ACL injury, including surgical and non-surgical methods. Typically, a surgical procedure is not required for grade 1 and 2 injuries, but you can also avoid invasive surgery in case of grade 3 injuries. So here are some popular ways to treat ACL tears without surgical procedures:

• The RICE Method

Rice, which stands for Rest, Ice Compression and Elevation, is a traditional method that acts as a catalyst for grade 1 and 2 injuries. You can get to a doctor or a physiotherapist to get it done, or you can even do it at your home for minor injuries. 

This method works by first letting the injury settle down and then using a cold sensation to get rid of the pain. After that, compression helps relax the muscles, which leads to the elimination of swelling. Lastly, elevation helps deal with further swelling and prevent further injury during recovery. 

• Immobilization 

For a severe injury, immobilization can also be used, where the doctor uses a cast to keep the knee joint stable. Moreover, they also recommend special boots that help reduce the pressure on the knee. 

• Physiotherapy 

Physiotherapy helps you to cut the time of recovery significantly. It allows you to recover faster by making your muscles around the knee stronger, resulting in better support for the knee, which is lacking due to the injury. So, the ligament develops faster, and you can get back to activity soon

• Regenerative Interventions:

Regenerative interventions are the methods where the body’s own healing power is restored by injecting growth factors or implanting marrow. It is a very effective method to deal with grade 2 and 3 tears. 

These are treatment options for ACL tears. However, when it comes to treating a grade 4 tear, surgery is always required. For grade 4 tears, the best surgical method is arthroscopy.

Conclusion

This is everything you should know about an ACL tear as a sports or a regular person. These injuries can be severe without proper treatment, leading to long-term immobility problems. So, you must go under the supervision of a doctor or a physiotherapist to heal the tear quicker and better.

Note: This content provides general information to help readers better understanding of ACL Injuries: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options All information shared in this content, including text, graphics, patient testimonials, and outcomes, is intended for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider to determine the best course of action for your individual needs.

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