A torn ACL is an injury that involves a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. This is one of the major ligaments of the knee and damage to it can occur during sports that require sudden stops or changes in direction of movement. Such sports may include soccer, football or even downhill skiing. You can also experience a torn ACL if you play a sport that requires plenty of jumping and (awkward) landing, e.g. basketball. You should seek immediate treatment if you think you have received an ACL tear or sprain as it is a potentially serious knee injury.
Other potential causes of an ACL injury are landing awkwardly from a jump. You can also receive this type of injury if you receive a direct blow to your knee, such as during a collision with another athlete, for example.
Symptoms of an ACL injury can include some or all of:
A torn ACL is a potentially serious knee injury and you should seek medical help immediately if you think you have experienced one.
As with many injuries of this type, treatment of your torn ACL will start with resting the damaged ligaments and allowing them a chance to heal. To do so, try to avoid placing weight on the knee. Additionally, you can help to reduce stress on the knee by wearing a knee brace like one of those shown below.
Besides rest, treatment of your ACL tear or sprain should include:
If your ACL injury is a serious one, a hinged knee brace or other knee support can help to take the load off the knee and reduce the recovery time. For more information on how a hinged knee brace can help treat an ACL tear or sprain, please read this post.
If you have experienced an ACL injury in the past and would like to reduce the risk of its recurrence, you can ask a physiotherapist to devise an exercise program that can help achieve this. This program will strengthen your leg and core muscles.
You can also hire a coach to help you improve your jumping and landing technique. Improving your technique for pivoting and changing direction while running at high speed can also reduce the risk of a torn ACL knee injury.
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The Bio Skin Gladiator uses a rigid hinge for knee ligament protection and is a useful brace to use after knee reconstruction. The brace has a rigid strapping system that securely anchors it to your leg and avoids the need for more costly braces. You can also adjust the range of motion using pins to limit the degree of flexion and/or extension.
The Bio Skin Gladiator – Front Closure uses a rigid hinge to effectively protect knee ligaments, including during the post reconstruction phase. The brace uses a rigid strapping system to firmly anchor itself to your leg and avoid the need for more expensive knee braces. The brace uses an easy on/off front closure design and has pins for the hinges that you can set to control the degree of flexion and/or extension.