The causes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can be categorized into two main reasons: sports-related injuries and accident-related injuries. The actions or injuries from both causes that lead to ACL tears or inflammation include:

Sports activities

Sports activities are a common cause of ACL tears because certain sports require rapid and agile movements throughout the game, such as football, basketball, or rugby. These are also sports that may involve weight-bearing on the knees, impacts, collisions, or knee rotation while the leg is still extended, often resulting in ACL injury, inflammation, or tears.

Accidents

Accidents are another major cause of ACL tears or injuries, occurring when the knee area receives direct impact or force from accidents such as falls, falling down stairs, car accidents, or minor ones that cause knee impact. These incidents can result in ACL injury or tears.

What are the symptoms of ACL tears?

Feeling pain or discomfort around the knee area
Feeling a popping sound in the knee
Noticeable swelling in the knee
Inability to bear full weight when walking
Severe pain that prevents continuing activities
Feeling that the knee is loose or unstable during various activities

Non-surgical ACL tear treatment methods

Did you know that ACL injuries don’t necessarily require surgical treatment in every case? It depends on various factors including severity, degree of knee injury, activities in daily life, knee usage, or knee instability symptoms. For patients with partial injuries from activities or knee usage which doesn’t require significant knee rotation, ACL injury treatment can be achieved through ACL rehabilitation methods, muscle strengthening practices, and exercises to improve the knee’s range of motion, balance, and proper movement techniques. This alone can enable patients to return to normal daily life.

Surgical ACL tear treatment method

In cases where patients have complete ACL tears, partial ACL tears, engage in activities requiring significant knee rotation, or have injuries to other parts of the knee, surgical treatment becomes necessary. Anterior cruciate ligament surgery (ACL Reconstruction), a surgery using tendons from other parts of the body to replace the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), allows patients to recover more quickly by typically using an arthroscopic surgical method. Combined with physical therapy and appropriate rehabilitation, anterior cruciate ligament surgery results in restored knee stability which enables patients to fully return to daily life and perform activities or sports as well as before.