Why does an anterior cruciate ligament injury occur?

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a ligament located inside the knee joint and has the function, mainly:

1. Prevent anterior translation of the tibia (translational control), so it is considered as the main primary stabilizer.
2. Rotational control of the knee. Other extra-articular structures (located outside the knee joint) assist in rotational control.

Because of these two functions it is considered a fundamental structure in all processes involving jumping, turning, braking or changes of direction of the lower limb.

What situations can produce an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament?

All sports that involve the above situations are susceptible to this injury: soccer, rugby, basketball, handball… although in team sports also the position in which the player occupies makes that, in certain positions, we can see it more frequently.

We can find this injury in two types of situations:

• Traumatic, in a situation involving a direct blow to the knee.
• Indirect, which are the most frequent, in which there is no contact with the opponent or with the ground.

Are there groups more prone to anterior cruciate ligament injury?

Women have physiological and anatomical characteristics that make them more prone to this type of injury. In fact, specialists in Traumatology explain that an increase in this injury has been observed in female athletes, with the generalization of sport in the female dry and the inclusion in sports classically defined for the male sex.

What treatment will be applied in anterior cruciate ligament injuries?

The treatment of this injury is still under open debate as to the need for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament or not, depending on the situation and needs of the patient.

As important as the type of surgery performed and the graft used for reconstruction, is a good preoperative preparation and a correct and multidisciplinary rehabilitation or sports readaptation. The objective will be to reduce the percentage of relapses or re-ruptures encountered.

In situations where a plasty (new ligament) fails to restore rotational stability, extra-articular techniques should be performed to assist this anterior cruciate ligament plasty, a subject still under discussion among specialists. In cases of hyperlaxity, re-ruptures or women these techniques could help to decrease the percentage of a new injury.