Essay On ACL Injury

Introduction

Injuries to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) are one of the most frequent and devastating knee injuries that occur during sporting activities, accounting for one fifth of all sport related knee injuries ¹ ². Injury estimates have been reported in current literature to be between 1.5% - 1.7% per year within a healthy athletic population ³ ⁴. However, incidence rates for ACL injury prove difficult to access as not all individuals with ACL injuries seek medical attention ⁵. Current trends show a direct correlation between the rising incidence of ACL injury and increased sporting participation ⁶. In spite of increasing incidence rates, ACL injuries remain fairly uncommonly in relation to the amount of individuals participating in sporting activities ⁷ ⁸. Nevertheless, they still prove to be a frequent source of disability for those individuals affected ⁷ ⁸. Individuals affected with ACL injury may suffer from a number of adverse effects including dynamic knee instability, altered movement patterns, reduced functional performance and debilitating pain ⁷⁻¹⁰.

The majority of ACL injuries can be defined as ‘non-contact’ (without direct trauma to knee joint), which occur during various sporting activities involving high risk dynamic movements ⁶ ¹¹. The mechanism involved in non-contact ACL injury during sporting activities is commonly attributed to foot planting, pivoting, decelerating or side cutting movements ¹². The need for further investigation into the aforementioned non-contact ACL injury mechanisms and risk factors is facilitated by continuing high incidence rates, long recovery periods and economic burdens ³ ¹¹. The remainder of the current review will primarily look into the association between biomechanics and ...

... middle of paper ...

...cient knee during activities of daily living, as they have yet to be determined ⁷². In understanding the factors contributing to the mechanism of non-contact ACL injury, investigators should consider whether the kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation strategies observed are the cause of increased ACL strain or compensation for other kinetic chain insufficiencies ²⁹. Further knowledge on how movement patterns and other kinetic chain structures affect ACL loads prove critical in enhancing future prevention strategies ²⁹ ³⁴. As with reconstruction, rehabilitation should aim to aid the knee in attaining its near-normal function ⁵⁵. Through producing rehabilitation programmes built around existing knowledge on the biological and mechanical properties of the ACL, objectives such as reduced pain, greater ROM and improved muscle function can be achieved ⁵⁵.