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