Why ACL Tears & Injuries Sideline So Many Sportspeople?

Tears of the Anterior Cruciate Ligaments are one of the most common injuries that affect the football, basketball and cricket players. In fact it is an injury that sidelines a player more than any other acute sports orthopaedic injury. A player can be sidelined for months or even for an entire season.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament Background:

ACL is one of the four major ligaments that function to stabilize and support your knee. It prevents the tibia from moving too far on the thigh bone.

ACL injuries and tears occur because of overstretching of the ligament; landing incorrectly from a sports jump, sudden stopping or a twist while rotating strike are some of the other reasons why you injure your ACL. Incorrect stretching in gym or pre-game warm-up exercises without expert supervision also come under the anterior cruciate ligament injury causes category.

What is the first sign of an ACL Tear?

According to renowned Knee Specialist in Mumbai, Dr. Amyn Rajani... A loud pop or a popping sensation in the knee is the first symptom of an ACL injury.

Did you know?

Female athletes suffer more ACL injuries and tears than their male counterparts. Statistics show that women are 2 times more prone to ACL tears and injuries than men. There are plenty of reasons which clearly indicate why females are more prone, let's highlight: The first one being, big anatomical difference, the anatomical difference between a man and a woman is huge, major being the intercondylar notch difference, which is larger in men than in women. Second most obvious difference is that their hormones react differently; Scientists have linked the female menstrual cycle with ACL tears and injuries. It is observed that females usually damage their anterior cruciate ligament during their first cycle before ovulation. A lot of sports orthopaedic theories also talk about the difference in the landing position of female athletes and male athletes. Females land directly on their knee and therefore the exertion put on the knees is much higher as compared to males who tend to land on their sides and in this way the exertion isn’t that high. Last, but not the least is the biomechanical difference, the way a female athlete's body moves and reacts to situations is different than how a male athlete's body responds.

The most puzzling aspect of sports ACL Tear or injury is it doesn’t get better with traditional non-surgical methods and you need to undergo an ACL Tear Surgery to repair your damaged surface.

Tips to Prevent ACL Tears

Orthopaedic Surgeons in Mumbai and around the world feel that a few lifestyle changes and few additions to your daily physical routine can make a big difference and as the wise man says, prevention is always better than cure. So here are few tips that will be helpful to both amateur and experienced athletes:

• Prepare your body for the challenges: Preparation and most importantly, awareness of how your body functions will go a long way in preventing ACL tears. You need to compulsorily stretch before and after exercises, give time to your muscles to relax both in between and after your workout sessions.
• Keep a watch on your knees: If you have a history of knee aches and injuries then make sure you do not unnecessarily put too much exertion on them, always try and lower the impact as much as possible.
• Aim for Stronger Muscles: Focus on strengthening the muscles around your knees, in this way you won’t put too much burden on your knees.