Emory Offers ACL Surgery for Any Type of ACL Knee Injury
If you’ve suffered from an ACL knee injury, you’re probably looking for details on ACL surgery or information on potential treatments. Our leading team of doctors and physicians at the Emory Sports Medicine Center would like to meet with you and discuss your ACL surgery options.
Details on an ACL Knee Injury
What is an ACL?
ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament. The ACL is a ligament, which is a fibrous structure made of collagen, connecting two or more bones together. In this case, the ACL is one of two ligaments in the center of the knee (the other is the PCL) which helps connect the femur to the tibia. The ACL originates in a large notch at the end of the femur and runs diagonally to insert on the top surface of the tibia. Emory’s team of physicians offers ACL surgery that repairs these torn or overextended ligaments of the knee.
What does the ACL do?
The ACL prevents the tibia from sliding too far forward from underneath the femur. It also helps prevent hyperextension of the knee, and resistance to rotational forces about the knee. ACL knee surgery is necessary once the tibia has slid too far or the knee joint has experienced hyperextension.
How does an ACL knee injury occur?
An ACL knee injury typically occurs during cutting, twisting or pivoting activities or with hyperextension injuries. During these types of activities, the knee is sharply twisted or extended beyond its normal range. ACL surgery can generally help correct when this phenomenon has happened to the knee.
Are there different degrees of an ACL knee injury?
Yes. An ACL knee injury is graded on the amount of ligament tearing, and therefore, severity of the injury. ACL surgery repairs tearing and moves the knee back to its normal range of movement.
Grade I - Minor trauma or "sprain" to ligament. Some ligament fibers are stretched but none are torn.
Grade II - More severe trauma or "partial tear." Here some fibers are actually torn.
Grade III - Severe trauma to the ligament, which completely tears all the ligament's fibers. Also known as a "complete tear," Grade III represents the most severe ACL knee injury.
How is an ACL typically torn in sporting events?
An ACL is typically torn in sporting events which typically require movements that cause the tibia to pivot on the femur. Examples of common types of sports with pivoting motions are soccer, football, basketball, and skiing. In these types of sports, the foot is planted with the knee bent, and a sudden change in direction typically occurs, which stresses the ligament.
Contact sports also put the ACL at an increased risk of injury. When the knee is struck from the outside, the resultant force may drive the tibia forward while the femur stays in place or is driven backward. When the knee is struck from the outside, the ACL can be injured alone or in conjunction with the MCL (medial collateral ligament). Also, an ACL knee injury or damage can result from a severe hyperextension of the knee joint. ACL surgery is necessary once hyperextension, tearing of the ligament, or movement within the knee joint has occurred.
Do females have a higher risk of an ACL knee injury than males?
Yes. This subject has recently gained a lot of attention in the mainstream press. Female athletes do appear to be more at risk for an ACL knee injury than males when playing the same sports. Studies comparing competitive female and male soccer players have found a three-to-five times higher risk of ACL injury in female players. Emory now has a program devoted to understanding why these injuries occur more often in women as well as devising new ways to approach ACL surgery and techniques.
When playing the same sports as males, why are females more likely to injure their ACL?
There appears to be no one single answer to this question. As with many issues in medicine, the cause is multifactorial. Several differences have been found between the sexes, which are likely attributable to the higher risk of injury for females. These differences include:
Anatomic: The size of the ACL and notch are smaller for women. Additionally, women have less muscle mass than men, which may provide a protective effect for the ACL.
Hormonal: Differences in estrogen levels may lead to increased laxity in the ligaments and tissues about the knee, which make females more susceptible to ACL injury.
Neuromuscular differences: The risk of an ACL knee injury may be increased in females secondary to differences in timing of muscle activation when performing jumping and pivoting type activities when compared to male athletes. Studies have demonstrated that women athletes tend to take a more erect body position when landing from jumps or changing directions. Both types of activity put the ACL under increased stress and a higher risk of injury, prompting the need for more specialized forms of ACL surgery and techniques for women. Our physicians at Emory provide you with alternatives or second opinions, as well as detailed information on ACL surgery.
The area of ACL injuries in women's athletics is currently being heavily studied by several physicians and scientists around the world, and here at Emory. There is no doubt that our knowledge of the cause of an ACL knee injury in female athletes, and best forms of ACL surgery, treatment and prevention, will rapidly increase over the next several years.
Contact us for more information on our ACL surgery options and treatment.
