ACL Rip/How to Know

ORTHOPEDICS/HIP & KNEE/ACL DAMAGE

Signs and Tests

An ACL rip frequently happens during sports activities.

The majority of ACL rips happen without any contact with other athlete.

ACL rip mainly happens after a sudden changing direction (cutting or pivoting).

Hearing a Perceptible “Pop”

Patient who suffer an ACL rip frequently claim hearing a “pop” at the incident.

Note that even without hearing the pop, an ACL rip may suddenly occur.

Knee Unsteadiness

The ACL is serious to the knee joint steadiness, and when an ACL rip occurs, the joint is generally unsteady. This signify that the knee joint is about to give out.

Habitually unsteadiness happens with cutting or pivoting movements; However, in a rare cases, unsteadiness can happen with even simple movements such as walking or getting into a car.

Knee Inflammation and Pain

A knee joint Inflammation happens to practically all patients with an ACL rip. This inflammation is commonly quite enormous and happens rapidly.

When the ACL is wavering, vessels that feed the tendon can fill the joint space with blood. This disorder is known as hemarthrosis.

Hemarthrosis Signs comprise inflammation, redness, warmth, yellowing, and a bubbling sensation in the joint.

Pain related to an ACL rip is common, although can vary depending on linked damage in and around the knee joint.

Much of the ACL rip pain is due to the joint inflammation.

Abnormal Physical Exam

The most commonly tests performed to determine the presence of an ACL rip include:

Lachman test: The Lachman test is performed to evaluate abnormal forward motion of the tibia. By pulling the tibia forward, the specialist can precise an ACL rip. The knee is held somewhat curved (about 20-30 degrees) and the femur is stabilized in one hand while shifting the tibia in the other hand.

Pivot shift movement: The pivot shift is difficult to perform in the office, it is typically more helpful in the operating room with a patient under anesthesia. The pivot shift movement perceives abnormal movement of the knee joint when an ACL rip is present.

Drawer test: The Drawer test is performed with the knee held with a 90-degree curve. The tibia is shifted forward and back to evaluate an integral ACL (pulling forward) and an integral PCL (pushing back).

In addition to performing these specific tests, the doctor will also examine your knee for inflammation, mobility, and strength.

Abnormal Imaging

knee X-rays are also performed to evaluate any possible rupture.

MRI may be ordered to assess ligament or cartilage damage.

When consulting Doctor

The signs and symptoms of an ACL damage are not always similar, so it is important to consult a doctor when experiencing any of the following:

  • Lasting knee pain or inflammation
  • Difficulty standing or walking on the damaged knee
  • Failure to supporting weight on the damaged knee
  • Any deformed appearance of one side of the knee in comparison to the normal side.