How to Diagnose an ACL Injury
The ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament, is a ligament that functions with other such ligaments to keep your knees in proper working order. Because our knees are such complicated joints, an ACL injury can be difficult to diagnose. While most ACL injuries occur in the knees of athletes, participation in strenuous sports can put your knees at risk as well.
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Instructions
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Learn the Causes of ACL Injuries
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Speak with your team coach about knee injury. Few non-athletes injure their ACLs, so when you participate in rigorous sports, be sure not to overextend your knees.
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Take care when executing jumps and pivot moves. The ACL holds the knee joint in place by limiting its movement, so if you put too much pressure on the joint, the ACL can tear.
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Avoid contact sports to lessen the likelihood of injuring your anterior cruciate ligament. Football tackles and soccer blocks can injure your ACL even if you yourself are being careful.
Tell Your Doctor Your Medical History
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Give your doctor a full list of all sports you play now and have played in the past. Knowing what risks you have been exposed to will help you doctor diagnose an ACL injury.
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Disclose any and all prior leg injuries you have suffered from. Past knee problems even with the other ligaments in your leg can cause your ACL to be at greater risk of injury even in less stressful activities.
Report Your Symptoms
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Inform your doctor if you heard a loud popping sound at any time while playing sports. This sound can be an indication that the ACL has been injured.
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Take note of any swelling of your knee. Typically, after an ACL injury, the knee will swell. This swelling can last several weeks.
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Report any feeling of looseness in your knee to your doctor. This can also indicate that the ACL is not able to hold your knee joint together properly.
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Talk with your doctor about any knee pain you have. Often, an ACL injury will be accompanied by severe localized pain.
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Pay attention to any perception that you knee feels like it is sliding backwards or cannot support your weight.
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Tips & Warnings
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament are most common in people between the ages of 15 and 25.
Take special care of your knees if you are a female athlete. Experts diagnose ACL injury in women athletes up to four times as often as in men.
