| Whether you are a fan of football, baseball, | | | | activities and functional movements that |
| basketball, or any other recreational | | | | correspond with the patient's everyday needs. |
| activity you have at one time or another | | | | |
| heard of an ACL injury. Maybe your favorite | | | | It is wise to follow the acronym PRICE during |
| athlete was sidelined for months with a tear | | | | the early stages of recovery from an ACL |
| to their ACL, or possibly it was you that had | | | | tear. PRICE stands for protection, rest, ice, |
| to watch from the sidelines for a few months. | | | | compression, and elevation. By following |
| The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is in | | | | these five steps each day a patient will |
| fact a common major injury to the knee. | | | | effectively decrease their pain and swelling |
| Luckily for us with a good surgeon and | | | | and better prepare their joint for the |
| physical therapist, an ACL injury is not | | | | recovery process. About one or two weeks |
| career threatening. Read more about ACL | | | | following surgery the patient will begin |
| injuries and what to expect during the rehab | | | | physical therapy. The physical therapist will |
| process. | | | | perform an initial evaluation consisting of |
| | | | background questions, and visual and physical |
| Anatomy of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament | | | | inspection of the knee itself. With this |
| (ACL) | | | | information a physical therapist will develop |
| | | | a detailed plan specific to each patient's |
| Each one of our knees contains a number of | | | | rehabilitation needs. |
| ligaments that help stabilize its movements. | | | | |
| Of the four major ligaments contained within | | | | Rehabilitation Timetable & Expectations |
| the knee capsule, the ACL is considered by | | | | |
| many to be the most important because it | | | | As with any injury the expected time of |
| provides the majority of the knee's | | | | recovery is based on numerous factors, such |
| stability. The ACL's main objective is to | | | | as: age, extent of injury, success and type |
| stabilize the knee during planting and | | | | of surgery, work ethic during rehab, physical |
| twisting motions, as well as prevent forward | | | | therapist technique and care to detail, and |
| movement of the lower leg from the upper leg. | | | | overall health and fitness of the patient. An |
| It is able to do this by attaching to our | | | | average patient, who had a traditional ACL |
| upper leg at the front of the femur and | | | | surgery, will begin light jogging about four |
| crosses the knee to attach to the lower leg | | | | months post-surgery with full strength and |
| at the back of the tibia. When an injury to | | | | mobility not being full restored until about |
| the ACL occurs it is either a partial or full | | | | six to nine months after surgery. Most |
| tear of the ligament. The joint responds as | | | | doctors will advise a patient to not return |
| it would to any other soft tissue injury by | | | | to more aggressive physical activities until |
| swelling. Some people hear a pop while others | | | | their recovering leg has gained at least 90% |
| just notice an extreme lack of stability and | | | | of the strength of the healthy leg. There are |
| a sense of the knee giving out when weight is | | | | more advanced surgeries that can put an |
| shifted on to that leg. Depending on the | | | | athlete on the playing field in about six |
| extent of the injury a patient may or may not | | | | months. This option is intended for serious |
| have surgery to repair a partial tear of the | | | | athletes only and a physician should be |
| ACL. As previously mentioned it is not just | | | | consulted before investigating this |
| athletes that experience tears of their ACL. | | | | alternative. |
| Women tend to be more prone to an ACL injury, | | | | |
| an unfortunate problem attributed to a number | | | | Any type of major injury can be a setback in |
| of factors. Anatomical factors that can | | | | an athletic career, or quite a struggle to |
| contribute to one's likelihood of injury | | | | deal with in day-to-day life, and an ACL tear |
| include: strength imbalances between the | | | | is no different. Surgery and rehabilitation |
| hamstrings and quadriceps, joint laxity, and | | | | techniques are improving each day and are |
| a large Q-angle. | | | | therefore making the recovery from such an |
| | | | injury less painful. A patient who is |
| Typical Rehabilitation Actions | | | | dedicated to their complete recovery will |
| | | | have a much better experience throughout the |
| Surgical and non-surgical rehabilitation | | | | process and give themselves a great |
| protocols are very similar, if not the same | | | | opportunity to continue their life, be it as |
| in many cases. Once the surgical wounds have | | | | an athlete or not. |
| healed a patient will then schedule their | | | | |
| first appointment with a physical therapist. | | | | Robert Tendick is a student preparing himself |
| The physical therapist will develop a plan of | | | | to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Through |
| action for the patient's treatment. The most | | | | his degree in Kinesiology and experiences as |
| important objective early on is to reduce | | | | an athlete, Robert has become familiar with |
| swelling and work to prevent scar tissue | | | | injuries to the ACL and common expectations |
| buildup. The next objective is to regain full | | | | for ACL surgery recovery. He has also had the |
| range of motion, while simultaneously | | | | opportunity as a physical therapy aide to |
| strengthening the muscles that support the | | | | help heal a number of West Los Angeles |
| knee joint. With full of range of motion and | | | | physical therapy patients through the use of |
| increasing strengths, eventually a physical | | | | cutting edge injury rehabilitation |
| therapist will finish their rehab treatment | | | | techniques. |
| with a phase of neuromuscular control | | | | |