ACL | Englewood Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Surgery, P.C.
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Sports Medicine

ACL — anterior cruciate ligament

Athletes put the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee under a tremendous amount of stress. If left untreated, ACL injuries can lead to cartilage damage. We’ll recommend the best approach — surgical or non-surgical based on your injuries and condition — to return you the full range of motion and stability to the knee. ACL ruptures can be caused by these factors:

1.

Environmental: Sports that include running, jumping, and landing pose the most potential for injury to the athlete. Interestingly, the risk for rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament does not increase in contact sports (as opposed to non-contact sports). About 70% of ACL tears are noncontact injuries.

2.

Anatomical: ACL injuries are especially common in female athletes, due to many possible contributing factors. The most prevalent explanation proposes that female athletes tend to land more straight-legged than men, removing the quadriceps muscles’ shock-absorbing action on the knee. Often, the knee on a straight leg can’t withstand this and bends sideways.

3.

Hormonal: High levels of hormones including estrogen have been associated with an increased risk of ACL rupture.