Do minor ACL tears need surgery?
Do minor ACL tears need surgery?
ACL injuries can either be complete or partial. While complete ACL tears almost always require surgery, partial ACL tears may be treated effectively with nonsurgical methods. ACL tears are graded by severity and are called sprains (a sprain is a stretch or tear in a ligament).
Can a minor ACL tear heal itself?
The ACL cannot heal on its own because there is no blood supply to this ligament. Surgery is usually required for athletes because the ACL is needed in order to safely perform the sharp movements that are required in sports.
Can you walk with a Grade 1 ACL tear?
Can you walk with a torn ACL? The short answer is yes. After the pain and swelling subsides and if there is no other injury to your knee, you may be able to walk in straight lines, go up and down stairs and even potentially jog in a straight line.
When was the first time I tore my ACL?
I suffered a torn ACL in the same knee on two different occasions. I tore my ACL the first time playing football in high school. I played the entire season with it torn and had it repaired in the off-season.
Can you play sports with a torn ACL?
Sadly, Yes. I tore it 11-12 years after the original tear. The graft lasted a long time. During that 11 year period I focused a lot on single leg exercises to keep both of my knees healthy (as apparently the statistical chance of an ACL injury goes way up if you’ve already had one before).
How can you tell if your ACL has been torn?
They can do the standard test where they move your knee back and forth, but on 3 different occasions in my life, I have had doctors check this and be WRONG (twice telling me it was torn when it wasn’t, and once telling me it wasn’t when it was). If you think you’ve sustained an ACL surgery, you must get an MRI to know for sure.
Which is stronger a torn patella or a torn ACL?
Even great orthopedic doctors disagree; based on results within their practice. Some research says the patella is stronger. However, recovery is longer, because your patella has to recover as well. There are a lot of doctors that argue that, with proper rehab and attention, a cadaver graft is just as strong.
Can a 12 year old have ACL surgery?
Sure, they might seem to mostly recover from ACL surgery now, but it’s very likely that activities ten or fifteen years from now will be much more difficult for them. One study followed kids aged 12–16 with complete ACL tears who’d had ACL surgery.
What happens when a teenager has an ACL tear?
As a parent who has to make medical decisions for your kids, it can be challenging. When your teenager suffers an ACL tear playing a sport he or she loves, it can be concerning, to say the least, to see your active kid suddenly mostly couch-bound or hobbling about in pain.
What to do with a torn ACL in an adult?
The treatment of ACL tears in the young, athletic, skeletally mature (adult) knee is usually reconstruction. A tendon is usually taken from another part of the body and used to rebuild the torn ligament. Non-operative treatment with braces and exercise usually fails.
Can a child tear the anterior cruciate ligament?
“Adult” type knee injuries can, however, occur in the child. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, were once thought to be extremely rare in children, but are now receiving more attention in recent years.