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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

Full range of treatments to ease knee pain

The ACL injury, occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament , becomes torn or worn away, causing pain and instability of the knee.

Dr. Maru, of NSOC is a top rated knee specialist in Kenya with a sub-specialist and experience in ACL reconstruction, revision, and repair surgery.

His dedication to the advancement of orthopedics is centered to directly optimize every patient’s quality of life that he has the opportunity to care for.

What is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament ?

This is one of the major stabilizing ligaments within the knee. It connects the thigh bone (femur) to the leg bone (tibia) and prevents abnormal movement (instability) occurring between the two.

It provides rotatory stability to the knee to allow movements such as pivoting or sudden change in direction to occur without the knee giving way.

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What causes ACL injuries?

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Skiers and people who play basketball, football, or soccer are more likely to have this type of injury. Women are more likely to tear their ACL than men when they participate in sports.

An ACL tear is typically caused by a severe injury or trauma to the knee, often during athletic activities. A sudden twisting motion of the knee or a blow to the knee that forces the joint to bend beyond its normal range of motion may cause the ACL to stretch and tear.

The ligament can be injured in more ways such as:

  • Stopping suddenly

  • Landing from a jump incorrectly

  • Direct contact or collision, such as a football tackle

Symptoms of ACL Injuries

The most common symptom of an ACL injury is the pain the knee especially when you try to put weight on the injured leg

Other symptoms include immediate weakness or a popping sound in the knee, swelling, stiffness, and bruising.

Walking is painful and the knee may feel unstable. Immediate onset of swelling may appear and is an indication that there is bleeding from the injured ligament.

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How is an ACL injury diagnosed?

A thorough diagnosis requires:

  • Expert physical examination of the knee
  • Analysis of the patient’s medical history
  • Explanation and assessment of the circumstances surrounding the cause of the injury

For serious ACL tears, an X-Ray or MRI is likely to be ordered to determine the extent of bone or ligament damage.

If further testing is needed to clearly evaluate the problem, an arthroscopy may be recommended.

During an arthroscopy, a tiny fiberoptic scope is inserted into the joint. The doctor uses this scope to visually assess the damage. In most cases, a diagnosis can be made without using this surgical procedure.

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How is an ACL injury treated?

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The common recommendation for immediate treatment of an ACL injury is the well-known rule of RICE:

  • Rest the knee by using crutches and keeping weight off of it
  • Ice the knee
  • Compress the knee with a wrap
  • Elevate the leg

These measures will help control swelling. The doctor may also drain the joint of excess fluid to reduce pressure.

Physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications are also applied as conservative treatments.

Restoring pain-free knee function

Surgical Treatment for ACL Injury

Rebuilding the ligament. Most ACL tears cannot be stitched back together. To surgically repair the ligaments and restore knee stability, the ligament must be reconstructed.

Your doctor will replace your torn ligament with a tissue graft. This graft acts as a scaffolding for a new ligament to grow on.

Grafts can be obtained from several sources. Often they are taken from the patellar tendon, which runs between the kneecap and the shinbone. Hamstring tendons at the back of the thigh are a common source of grafts. Sometimes a quadriceps tendon, which runs from the kneecap into the thigh, is used.

Surgery to rebuild an anterior cruciate ligament is done with an arthroscope using small incisions. Arthroscopic surgery is less invasive. The benefits of less invasive techniques include less pain from surgery, less time spent in the hospital, and quicker recovery times.

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Recovery after ACL reconstruction

After your ACL reconstruction you will be given pain killers to take home, ice packs and elevation are also helpful in the first few days.

It usually takes about a year to make a full recovery from ACL reconstruction but this varies between individuals and case to case, so it’s important to follow your surgeon’s advice.

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