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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs that an ACL is torn?

Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
When the ACL tears, the person feels the knee go out of joint and often hears or feels a "pop". If he or she tries to stand on the leg, the knee may feel unstable and give out. The knee usually swells a great deal immediately (within two hours). Over the next several hours, pain becomes more severe and it becomes difficult to walk.
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What is a torn ACL?

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The ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is a ligament in the center of your knee. The ACL gets damaged when twisted too far, which makes it a common injury in relation to sports or other physical activity. ACL Reconstruction is performed using a combination of open surgery and arthroscopic surgery. Before ACL reconstruction process begins, your surgeon will examine your knee arthroscopically, and repair any additional damage to the knee, such as a torn meniscus, or worn articular cartilage.
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If my ACL is torn, should I have surgery to repair it?

injuryupdate.com.au - Australia's best information source fo...
a general rule, the body cannot repair a torn ACL if the tear is complete. Partial tears may sometimes heal but often will progress to becoming complete tears. If surgery is needed, the surgeon will not repair the ligament directly, as this has a low success rate, but will instead use a nearby tendon to reconstruct the original ligament. Your future demands in multi-directional sport.
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How will the knee function if the ACL is torn?

Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
If no structure other than the ACL is injured, the knee usually regains it range of motion and is painless after six or eight weeks. The knee can then feel completely normal. However, it can be a "trick knee". If a knee does not have an ACL it can give way or be unstable when the person pivots or changes direction. The person can usually run straight ahead and ride a bicycle without a difficulty.
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When should surgery be performed for a torn ACL?

Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
It is best to wait for the pain and swelling to subside and to allow associated injuries to heal before performing surgery for the ACL. If surgery is done too soon after injury, rehabilitation is difficult. The knee may get stiff and have permanent loss of motion. The athlete will usually get back to sports much more quickly if the knee is allowed to recover from initial injury and to regain its full painless range of motion (usually at least six weeks) before performing surgery.
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Should my torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) be repaired?

Dr. Prodromos - Chicago (Glenview) orthopedic - knee shoulde...
In most cases, yes. A torn ACL renders the knee unstable in pivoting and jumping. This can lead to cartilage damage and arthritis. ACL reconstruction helps prevent these problems and restore an active lifestyle. If you are older or content with a more sedentary lifestyle, non-surgical treatment may be suitable.
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What is the initial treatment for a knee that may have a torn ACL?

Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
The initial treatment of the injured joint is to apply ice and gentle compression to control swelling. A knee splint and crutches are used. Medical attention should be sought to confirm the diagnosis and to evaluate the entire extremity. X-rays are taken to rule out a fracture. Sometimes an MRI is needed, but usually the diagnosis can be made by physical examination.
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My vet told me my pet has a "torn ACL" and that it should have a TPLO done. What are my options?

Frequently Asked Questions about knee surgery
Not all dogs require TPLO to restore knee function. Dogs weighing less than 40 pounds may have a different technique, often referred to as a "lateral suture technique", that will work equally well. This technique is not for overweight dogs. The recovery is slower but most dogs acheive almost normal function in the limb. This procedure does not work as well in larger dogs.
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My dog has bad hips and a torn ACL. Should I proceed with surgery?

Frequently Asked Questions about knee surgery
Absolutely. The hips are rarely the cause of acute limping. If the ACLs are torn, your pet is only going to get worse.
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What is a torn ACL? MCL?

Frequently Asked Questions
There are four ligaments in the knee: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The ACL and PCL stabilize front-to-back knee movements, while the MCL and LCL stabilize side-to-side movements. The ACL can be sprained or torn if the knee is straightened beyond its normal limits (hyperextended), twisted, or bent side-to-side.
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How can I tell if I have a torn ACL?

ACL FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions about ACL Surgery)
Sometimes it's tough to tell. Even for the doctors. When you tear your ACL it feels a lot "looser" than your good knee. It almost feels like it could pop out of place at any minute. The stability just isn't there. When some people tear their ACL, they hear a "pop" when it happens. It's usually pretty loud and noticeable. This is what happened to me. Although, at the time I had no idea what that "pop" sound meant. If you have a torn ACL it also usually swells up immediately..
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What Are The Signs Of An ACL Tear?

ACL Tears-Surgery or Not? - Bootcamp Buddies - Weight Watche...
In many cases, when the ACL is torn, you will feel the knee give way with an audible "pop". The injury is usually associated with a moderate amount of pain and continued activity is usually not possible. Over the next several hours, the knee becomes very swollen and walking becomes difficult. The swelling and pain usually are the worst for the first two days and then begin to subside.
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What are the signs and symptoms of a possible ACL tear?

Frequently Asked Questions: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)...
The famous "pop" is the most telling symptom of an ACL injury, although you may have a tear without ever experiencing the pop. The injury is usually followed by considerable pain and swelling within the first several hours. You may develop a feeling of instability in the knee or "giving way", making walking difficult.
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How can a meniscus be torn?

Frequently Asked Questions
The medial and lateral menisci are fixed between the two weight-bearing surfaces within the knee, and as such can become “pinched” by the other structures of the knee between the joint when an injury occurs. Typically, the injury involves twisting on a bent knee. When this happens the menisci can become torn (“torn cartilage”). Any form of physical movement can potentially cause a meniscal tear, although they tend to be associated with sporting activities.
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What is an ACL tear?

FAQ Knee - Howard J Luks,MD
The ACL is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. There are more than 4 major ligaments that essentially hold the knee together. Without one of more of these ligaments the knee would be loose and you would perceive that the knee was giving way or buckling. The ACL is the most commonly torn knee ligament. The ACL is usually torn as the result of a non-contact twisting injury. You will usually feel or hear a pop, the knee will buckle and within a short period of time, significant swelling will occur.
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Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
The most common mechanism is a combination of a sudden stopping motion on the leg while quickly twisting at the knee. The planted foot remains stationary while the body rotates toward the opposite side of the body. This can happen in a sport such as basketball, when a player lands on the leg when coming down from a rebound or is running down the court and makes an abrupt stop to pivot. In football, soccer, or lacrosse, cleats prevent the foot from slipping during this motion.
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Why was it torn down?

Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site - Frequently ...
Historically, Fort Union was torn down in 1867 and used to expand Fort Buford. One of the reasons was that the trade was no longer profitable and with many businesses once they start to lose business they move on. There was also hostility from the Lakota Sioux which made trading at Fort Union dangerous to tribes who would come to trade. The final push for Fort Union was to move the remaining operations to Fort Benton where they continued actively with the Blackfeet trade.
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What is the ACL?

FAQ - What is the ACL ?
There are two large ligaments inside your knee each about the size of your little finger that cross deep inside the joint. They are called the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) and go from the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). They serve to stabilize the knee and allow it to glide through a smooth range of motion as you bend and straighten the leg. The ACL is the ligament in the front and the one most commonly injured.
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How common is ACL injury and the surgery for ACL tears?

Frequently Asked Questions
Anterior cruciate ligament is one of the commonest knee injuries in sports and day-to-day life. It is estimated that around 1,00,000 to 2,00,000 ACL injuries occur per year in United States and roughly around 70,000 ACL reconstructions are performed.
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Where was the Embarcadero Freeway and why was it torn down?

misc.transport.road FAQ
The Embarcadero Freeway, I-480, would have connected the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, carrying mostly local traffic. The first section north from I-80 was built. Most San Francisco residents hated it because it blocked the view of the waterfront from the other side. After a 1989 earthquake almost made it collapse, it was permanently closed and torn down. The same thing happened to the northern half and most of the upper deck of the Central Skyway (US 101).
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I have a torn rotator cuff. Should it be repaired?

Dr. Prodromos - Chicago (Glenview) orthopedic - knee shoulde...
Most torn rotator cuffs should be repaired. Repair results are best when the tears are small. If left as is, the tears often grow, and if they become too big, may become irreparable.
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Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Surgery- Mass G...
Most rotator cuff tears can be repaired surgically by reattaching the torn tendon(s) to the humerus. This can be accomplished either arthroscopically or through a formal open procedure. Sutures are attached to the torn tendons. Tiny holes are made in the humerus where the tendons were attached and the sutures are passed through the bone and tied, securing the rotator cuff tendons back to the humerus. The tendons heal back to the bone, reestablishing the normal tendon-to-bone connection.
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What is a double-bundle ACL reconstruction?

Double Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament - What is a Double-...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of four major ligaments in the knee that provide stability to the joint. When a patient sustains a tear to the ACL, a sensation of instability, or giving out, may develop in the injured knee. In order to restore stability to the knee, your doctor may recommend an ACL reconstruction to insert a new ligament in the place of the damaged ACL.
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What is an ACL "bundle"?

Double Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament - What is a Double-...
The anterior cruciate ligament is made of a tough, fibrous tissue that spans the knee joint, attaching to the femur (thigh bone) on top, and the tibia (shin bone) below. The ligament itself is made of thousands of individual fibers, that together form the ACL. Some of these fibers are organized into distinct bundles. The normal ACL has two primary bundles of fibers. These bundles are positioned closely together, in some patients with normal ACLs it can be difficult to discern distinct bundles.
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What is an ACL and how are these injuries treated?

Frequently Asked Questions -- Advanced Centers for Orthopaed...
ACL is an abbreviation for anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body. It depends on four ligaments and other muscles and tendons to function properly. There are two ligaments on the sides of the knee, the medial collateral ligament and the lateral collateral ligament and two cross ligaments in the center of the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament.
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What are the symptoms of ACL tear?

Frequently Asked Questions
Patients with ACL insufficiency can walk in a straight line. But when they attempt to change the direction suddenly while walking or running they may feel the knee joint giving away. Additional symptoms like Pain and repeated joint swellings may be present due to additional injuries to meniscus and cartilage.
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Is it a must to have reconstruction surgery for ACL tear?

Frequently Asked Questions
ACL tears do not have the capacity to heal by themselves. This is because of the poor blood supply and the presence of joint fluid. Similarly the torn edges of the ligament cannot be sutured together, as this procedure has very high failure rates and has been given up. The ideal way to get back the function of ACL is to have reconstrucion of ACL. Even though patient can manage activities like walking climbing stairs, without ACL.
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Are there different techniques of reconstructing the ACL?

Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, ACL reconstruction is done using few types of grafts and also a variety of fixation methods to fix the graft to the bone. In our center we use all varieties of grafts and techniques. The choice of graft and fixation technique is decided based on the requirements of the patients.
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Is there is any synthetic replacement for ACL?

Frequently Asked Questions
Synthetic materials were tried to replicate the function of ACL, but now are largely given up because of undesirable side effects and complications.
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