ACL Injury Treatment
Modify Your Activity
For patients with lower athletic demands or mild instability, activity
modification may be an appropriate treatment choice.
By eliminating "at risk sports" such as soccer, basketball,
or skiing the patient may be able to eliminate their feeling of
instability. However many patients, regardless of age, are unwilling to
give up their recreational interests.
They may have instability of the knee, even with "low risk"
sports or with activities of daily living. An aggressive physical therapy
program emphasizing strengthening of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles
can frequently reduce such episodes of instability. It is also very
important to maintain knee extension, the ability to straighten the knee
completely. These patients will often utilize knee braces upon return to
vigorous exercise.
Advantages of this type of
conservative management plan include a decreased time to return to
athletics and a less intense rehabilitation program then required for
surgical repair, while allowing for the option of surgery if it becomes
necessary.
Disadvantages include permanent
brace wear use when highly active, risk of re-injury, chronic instability,
often an inability to return to previous level of play, and an increased
potential for further injury such as cartilage (meniscus) tears and
possible early arthritis.
Surgery
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