What Causes an ACL Tear?

Most ACL tears happen during sports and activities, often without any contact at all. Common causes and risk factors include:

• Sudden Stops or Direction Changes: The classic cutting or pivoting movement
• Awkward Landings: Landing poorly from a jump
• Sudden Slowing: Slowing down suddenly while running
• Direct Blow: A hit to the knee, such as a tackle or collision
• Pivoting Sports: Sports such as soccer, basketball, football and skiing

Female athletes experience ACL injuries at higher rates than male athletes, which is thought to be related to differences in anatomy, alignment and muscle patterns around the knee.

ACL Tear Symptoms

An ACL tear usually announces itself right away. Common symptoms include:

• Pop or Snap: A popping sound or snapping sensation in the joint at the time of injury
• Sudden Pain: Intense pain at the joint
• Rapid Swelling: Swelling of the knee, usually within a few hours
• Instability: A feeling that the knee is unstable or gives way, especially when trying to change direction
• Limited Movement: Difficulty fully bending or straightening the knee

Some people can still walk on the injured knee even though it feels unstable, so being able to bear weight does not rule out a tear.

Please Note: If your knee swells quickly after an injury, gives way or will not bear weight, have it evaluated promptly. An ACL tear often comes with other knee injuries, such as a meniscus or cartilage tear, and an early diagnosis helps guide the best treatment.

How an ACL Tear Is Diagnosed

A knee specialist can often identify an ACL tear from your description of the injury and a physical examination. Your physician will check the knee for swelling and tenderness and gently test how stable the joint is, comparing it to your other knee to feel for the looseness that a torn ACL allows. Rapid swelling in the first few hours often reflects bleeding inside the joint. An MRI confirms the diagnosis, shows whether the tear is partial or complete and reveals any related damage to the meniscus, cartilage or other ligaments.

ACL Tear Treatment

Treatment depends on the severity of the tear, your activity level and your goals. The two main paths are nonsurgical rehabilitation and surgical reconstruction. Not every ACL tear requires surgery, and the right choice is a decision you make together with your physician.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Nonsurgical care may be appropriate for partial tears or for people who are less active or do not take part in pivoting sports. It focuses on calming the injury and restoring stability:

• Rest, Ice and Elevation: Steps to bring down the initial swelling
• Bracing and Crutches: A brace to support the knee, and crutches at first to limit weight on it
• Physical Therapy: Exercises to rebuild strength, particularly in the muscles that help stabilize the knee

A small number of people, sometimes called copers, can return to higher-level activity without surgery once they pass specific strength and stability tests, but ongoing instability can lead to further damage in the knee.

ACL Reconstruction Surgery

Active people and those whose knees feel unstable often choose ACL reconstruction. Rather than stitching the torn ligament back together, the surgeon rebuilds it using a tissue graft, often taken from the patient’s own hamstring, patellar tendon or quadriceps tendon, which serves as a scaffold for a new ligament to grow. The procedure is done arthroscopically through small incisions. Reconstruction is also commonly recommended when an ACL tear comes with other knee damage. Your Resurgens surgeon will explain the graft options and which approach fits you best.

ACL Tear Recovery

Recovery from an ACL tear is a gradual, step-by-step process, and physical therapy is the foundation of that recovery, regardless of whether you undergo surgery. The early focus is on calming swelling and restoring motion, followed by rebuilding strength and, later, retraining the balance and control needed for cutting and pivoting. Returning to sports is the final stage and is approached carefully, only once the knee has regained enough strength, stability and confidence. Recovery takes time, and it can take a year or more before athletes can safely return to play. The timeline varies from person to person depending on the injury, the treatment and how rehabilitation progresses, and sticking with the rehabilitation plan is an important part of a strong recovery.

Schedule an Appointment for a Knee Injury

If you have injured your knee or think you may have an ACL tear, a specialist can find out what is going on and guide your recovery. Book an appointment online today with Resurgens Orthopaedics or call us at (404) 847-9999.