What is anterior cruciate ligament surgery?
Two bones in our knee: femur and tibia, are connected to each other by four ligaments (two crossed and two lateral). which act as strong ropes to hold the bones together and keep the knee stable. The anterior cruciate ligament is one of these four primary ligaments of the knee, being the one most frequently injured and that most frequently requires surgical intervention. Specifically, the anterior cruciate ligament prevents the tibia from moving forward from the femur, and also provides rotational stability to the knee, mainly controlling internal rotation.
For this very reason, when this ligament is torn, a combined movement of anterior tibial translation, internal rotation and inward deviation of the knee occurs.
An anterior cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common injuries that occur in the knee. It tends to be even more common in elite athletes or people who perform physical exercise regularly and intensely that involves knee movements such as: soccer, tennis, skiing...
Symptoms of anterior cruciate ligament injury
If you have injured your anterior cruciate ligament, you will notice it quickly. Generally, when it occurs, we can hear a crack or a small click coming from our knee. Following this, we will notice a sharp and dry pain and the inability of the knee to support the weight of our leg. That is, you will notice that the knee “is not attached” to the rest of the body.
Other symptoms that may also occur are:
- A large swelling or stroke relatively quickly, which appears within minutes after the injury, corresponding to the blood that fills the knee from the vessels in the ligament.
- Once the inflammation mentioned above goes down and the patient tries to progressively resume their activities, they may notice an unstable knee, as we have already mentioned. Because of this, if the patient continues to try to make efforts, may damage the meniscus, which will worsen the prognosis of the knee as the injuries are partially irreversible.
Causes of anterior cruciate ligament injury
The anterior cruciate ligament can be injured in several ways, but in all of them, the ankle is locked and the knee absorbs the force of the body weight. Some movements that can cause this ligament to tear may be:
- Stop dead after having been done a lot of physical activity with your knee and apply a lot of pressure with it on the ground.
- While we run, The knee collapses backwards, causing it to break.
- By direct contact or shock with another person or object from the side of our knee.
- Landing incorrectly from a jump or a fall.
How is an anterior cruciate ligament injury treated?
Existing treatments
Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures require healing undergoing surgery in most cases. However, performing surgery is just as important as the rehabilitation process afterwards, to provide our knee with functionality again.
After surgery, certain phases will be carried out, the correct completion of which will determine both the recovery time and the possibility of suffering breaks again. Therefore, it is important that we go to a good physiotherapy specialist to help us and guide us with rehabilitation and care for this process.
Since the first step is to reduce pain and inflammation, the patient is talked to to find out their work out, or the type of job you have to know first-hand what is happening to you. causing problems in the joints.
Afterwards, physical activity is temporarily suspended or a alternative so as not to worsen the situation.
That does not mean that you cannot continue exercising, the only thing is that it is very likely that other types of exercise will be recommended. low impact exercises because it is necessary for the patient to remain in shape for a faster recovery.
Regarding the work of physiotherapist, we mainly work on the bursas (the bags that protect from friction). For this reason, the patient is educated regarding stretches and exercises that increase flexibility for better recovery and prevent recurrence.
It is also recommended to strengthen the muscles in the area with specific exercises to balance the area and avoid joint friction.
Therefore, we seek to prevent, educate and strengthen the patient so that they do not suffer from trochanteritis again.
Benefits of our treatments
- Rehabilitation after surgery helps prevent the injured area from being fractured again.
- We strengthen the joint again and provide it with mobility
- It helps speed up the recovery process so that we can return to our normal physical activity as soon as possible.
- Promotes the recovery of the stability of our joint
If you have questions about how you should do your knee rehabilitation or what steps you should follow, do not hesitate to contact us. get in touch with us. We will be happy to help you.
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