An ACL Tear Isn't the End of a Sports Career

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four major ligaments between the femur and the tibia. It provides knee stability while permitting motion and is one of the most commonly injured ligaments of the knee. An injury to an athlete’s ACL may require surgery, but in many cases, nonoperative treatment can be effective as well.

Nonoperative treatment may include bracing or participating in a physical therapy, rehabilitation, or exercise program. If one of your athletes has suffered a partial ACL tear, these nonsurgical treatment methods can restore his or her knee to its pre-injured state.

However, if the ACL tear has created significant instability within your athlete’s knee joint, a surgeon may recommend surgery.

“During ACL reconstruction surgery, the damaged ligament is removed and replaced with a substitute graft,” explains Dr. Steven T. Thaxter, knee surgeon at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics. “This surgery method is very successful in restoring full knee function and preventing future instability within the knee.”

Dr. Thaxter says that the timeline for returning to sports and physical activity varies for each athlete. Athletes may return to normal activity, practices, and conditioning when there is no longer pain or swelling in the knee, when they have achieved full range of motion, and when they have restored muscle strength within their leg. For many athletes, this occurs 4-6 months following surgery.

To learn more about treatment options for ACL injuries, please call (559) 257-4107 to speak with one of the sports medicine doctors at Sierra Pacific Orthopedics. To stay up to date on sports medicine injury treatment methods and prevention tips, “Like” Sierra Pacific Orthopedics on Facebook or follow @spoc_ortho on Twitter.