The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments that connects the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone) together. The ACL sits in the middle of the knee. Its main job is to prevent the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur. So how can you injure your ACL? It can happen from a contact injury (like getting tackled in football), but most of the time, it occurs from a noncontact injury (like planting your foot to quickly change direction while running or landing the wrong way from a jump).
So who is at a greater risk of having an ACL injury? Those who have experienced an ACL injury in the past and females younger than the age of 20, especially high school-aged female athletes. This injury carries with it long-term cascading financial, physical, and psychological consequences to the patient. So how can we help to reduce the possibilities of an ACL injury? Firstly, let’s highlight the risk factors for sustaining a noncontact ACL injury. These include hip muscle weakness, faulty movement patterns, improper running, jumping, landing, and cutting mechanics. Many of these risk factors are easily identifiable through a clinical evaluation and can be corrected through education and a dedicated exercise program. There are also readily available evidence-based ACL injury prevention programs that have shown to reduce ACL injury rates when they are implemented and appropriately followed, under the guidance of a trained physical therapist.
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Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy
Published Online:September 30, 2015Volume45Issue10Pages729-730
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