Why is acl most common injury

While some athletes wear knee braces to prevent ACL injuries, current clinical evidence does not support their use in ACL prevention. Video: 3 Simple Exercises to Restore Proprioception. Treatment of Knee Hyperextension. Soft Tissue of the Knee Joint.

Detailed Knee Sprain Symptoms. You are here Sports Injuries Knee Injuries. Peer Reviewed. It often occurs: As a result of cutting or pivoting maneuvers , when an athlete plants a foot and suddenly shifts direction When a person lands on one leg , such as when jumping in volleyball or basketball When the knee is hit directly , especially when it is hyper-extended or bent slightly inward During a sudden slowing or stopping from running , which can cause the ligament to hyper-extend Through repeated stress to the knee , which can cause the ligament to lose elasticity like a stretched out rubber band When the knee is bent backward or twisted , which can occur during a fall or landing a jump awkwardly See Understanding Knee Hyperextension Sports injuries are the most common causes of ACL tears, however, the ACL can be injured during any trauma, such as during a car accident, falling off a ladder, or missing a step on a staircase.

Anterior cruciate ligament rupture: differences between males and females. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. One theory explaining a potential cause of this issue, is the increase in sports participation with the tendency to professionalize the sport and training from an early age.

This recently struck home after attending under 11soccer training, which bought my attention to the high intensity training children are undertaking and participating in drills and movements with poor body awareness and poor movement patterns which could potentially lead to injuries.

Over recruitment of muscle groups like the hamstrings and trunk flexors and under recruitment of the gluteals alongside poor balance and ankle control can all contribute. Implementing prevention strategies for both children and adults could be a way to reduce the incidence and burden of these injuries.

Teaching people to move better, incorporating agility, good quality jumping and landing techniques to prevent this type of sporting injuries is a good way to start. Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists can help with this, and if necessary, provide exercise programmes to strengthen muscles or ligaments where required. Additionally, it could be worthwhile having an exercise screening to determine risk of injury.

After all, preventing injuries is far cheaper than sustaining them and requiring rehabilitation. When injury to the ACL has been sustained and Phase 1 of rehabilitation has begun under the guidance of your surgeon or Physiotherapist, you could expect have subsided pain, reduced swelling and normalized range of motion.

Generally speaking, these phases of rehabilitation are what you can expect to undertake after an ACL repair. Each person is different and their exact rehabilitation will be dependent on their personal circumstances, and specific advice can be provided by your Surgeon, Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist. Returning movement to the knee joint and surrounding muscles mainly in lying, sitting with weight baring to tolerance and normalised gait encouraged.

Phase 3 is about strengthening the quadriceps, gluteals, calf, hamstrings, core muscle groups to assist the ligament non-surgical approach or to protect the new ligament surgical approach. Loading the lower limb in standing functional movements to mimic the demands of the sport or activity.

Recent research has allowed therapists and clinicians to easily identify and target weak muscle areas e. In addition, other risk factors such as reduced hamstring strength and increased joint range of motion can be further assessed by a physical therapist or athletic trainer to improve performance—or rehabilitation efforts after an injury has occurred. Current studies also demonstrate that specific types of training, such as jump routines and learning to pivot properly, help athletes prevent ACL injuries.

These types of exercises and training programs are more beneficial if athletes start when they are young. It may be optimal to integrate prevention programs during early adolescence, prior to when young athletes develop certain habits that increase the risk of an ACL injury. Preseason screening programs that monitor important risk factors and identify young "high-risk" athletes who would benefit from targeted neuromuscular training interventions may be the most beneficial way to reduce the risk of ACL injuries in young athletes.