My Focus Group: ACL injury Group II by

ACL Injury

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-09 22:55:59 UTC

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury occurs when the ligament that stabilizes the knee joint experiences a sprain or tear.

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-09 23:04:39 UTC

Female athletes who play in competitive sports such as basketball and soccer have a 2-8x risk higher chance of developing an ACL injury compared to men.

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-09 23:07:38 UTC

Studies have found that the likelihood of developing an ACL injury can be hereditary among families.

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-09 23:12:36 UTC

ACL Injuries can occur for a multitude of reasons, the most common of which include:

-> Changing Directions Quickly

-> Sudden pivoting

-> Stopping Suddenly

-> Overextending the knee

-> Landing from a jump

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-09 23:15:37 UTC

ACL Injuries increase in likelihood among preteens and early teens as a result of their physical growth. The chances of injury increase for girls beyond the age of 12 and boys beyond the age of 14.

Anatomical Structures Involved in ACL Injuries

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-16 22:53:26 UTC

The primary structure involved in an ACL injury is the ACL itself however, the ACL serves as a band of tissues that connects the femur to the tibia, meaning that both are somewhat involved as structures within an ACL injury.

Physiology of an ACL Injury

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-16 22:59:41 UTC

According to this article, when one undergoes an ACL Injury, oftentimes, they will experience feelings of instability within their knee which can hinder performance in sports, leading to a feeling of the knee "giving out".

Symptoms of an ACL Injury

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-16 23:01:46 UTC

According to this article, when an ACL injury is present, individuals may often feel some or all of the various symptoms. These include

Pain on the back of the knee
Swelling of the knee, especially in the first few hours after the injury
Limited movement of the knee
Discomfort when walking

Other Anatomical Structures Involved in an ACL Injury

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-16 23:06:47 UTC

ACL injuries can involve an MCL injury as well. This occurs around 20-38% of the time and is often the result of sports such as basketball, football, and soccer that involve a high degree of rotation of the knee.

Symptom 1: Pain in the Knee

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 22:54:58 UTC

Subsequent to an ACL Injury, one will often experience a feeling of pain within the knee. This can occur for various reasons, whether that be because of the actual ACL injury, or whether accompanying injuries to areas around the ACL are causing pain.

Symptom 2: Swelling of the Knee

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 22:57:43 UTC

Often, after an ACL injury, one will experience swelling in their affected knee. This occurs as a result of blood trapped in the joint. This may also occur when a small blood vessel is torn during the ACL tear which can also cause significant swelling.

Symptom 3: Limited Range of Motion

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 22:59:49 UTC

Because of spinal reflex pathways, motion is limited as an involuntary response to the injury.

Symptom 4: Popping Sound

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 23:01:59 UTC

The popping sound that one often hears or feels after an ACL injury occurs due to the rupturing of the ligament. The sound occurs due to the tissue being broken and further damage to areas around the ACL can exacerbate these "popping" sounds.

Diagnoses 1: Lachman Test

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 23:05:03 UTC

The most common and accurate method of diagnosing an ACL injury is the Lachmen Test. This test reveals injuries by looking at the integrity of the ligament and determines whether an injury is present.

Diagnoses 2: MRI

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 23:06:21 UTC

The MRI can diagnose an ACL Injury by creating images of both the hard & soft tissues that are present within the knee which can be assessed to determine if an injury is present.

Treatment 1: Surgery

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 23:08:24 UTC

In severe cases of ACL Injuries, the ACL can be reconstructed using either a donated ligament or one from another part of the body to fix the problem

Treatment 2: Physical Therapy

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-23 23:09:09 UTC

The goal of this treatment for less severe cases of ACL Injuries is to strengthen the areas surrounding the ACL which can thus lead to more stability around the knee and progress healing.

Consequence 1: Instability in the Knee Joint

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-30 22:48:49 UTC

In some more severe cases of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries, the injured individual can experience long-term instability in their knee joint. This often occurs due to other secondary structures that are damaged at the same time as the original ACL injury. This creates the sensation of instability.

Consequence 2: Osteoarthritis

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-30 22:50:51 UTC

Research has found that around half of individuals with an ACL Injury will experience Osteoarthritis occurring after 10-20 years from their initial injury. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that is caused by the bone in a joint breaking down and weakening over time. ACL Injuries exacerbate this condition as it increases inflammation within the knee.

Consequence 3: Increased risk of other Health Conditions

kkathur1_1 — 2024-09-30 22:56:42 UTC

With individuals who experience osteoarthritis within their knee after an ACL Injury, they often find themselves at a higher risk for developing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. This occurs as a secondary consequence of an ACL injury as individuals with osteoarthritis often are unable to play in sports and exercise as others may be able to. This can lead to the onset of these other diseases that can affect their lives.

Long Term Treatment 1: Physical Therapy

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-07 22:51:11 UTC

For certain cases of ACL Injuries, people may seek out physical therapy to strengthen the area around the ACL and the knee itself to prevent re-injury. Physical therapy usually costs between $75-$150 per hour without insurance. It is quite likely that insurance will cover the cost of an ACL injury but it depends on your deductible whether it will be full or partial coverage. If the person does not seek treatment, the consequences can include permanent weakness within the knee and and incomplete healing.

Long Term Treatment 2: Braces

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-07 22:57:26 UTC

The cost of knee braces aimed to aid the healing process of an ACL injury can vary in cost. It usually falls between $200-$400 but can be higher depending on the brand and quality of the brace. In terms of coverage, a lot of insurances do cover the cost of a brace however it does depend so there is a moderate chance it would be covered and would vary by insurance provider. If the person does not seek this treatment, they stand a higher risk for a repeated injury and may end up paying more in the future.

Long Term Treatment 3: Surgery

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-07 23:00:24 UTC

The price for ACL surgery can cost between $9,500-$26,000 with an average price of $15,445. In terms of insurance, it is quite likely that insurance will cover the full cost of the surgery if a doctor has determined that the surgery is "medically necessary". If a person does not seek this treatment, they can risk arthritis within the knee and permanent knee pain and other issues regarding the strength of their knee, leading to a much lower overall quality of life.

Rehabilitation Treatment 1:

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-21 22:43:24 UTC

Psychotherapy would likely be needed in cases of ACL Injuries. The treatment would involve helping the patient re-frame their methods of thinking in regards to the injury, and working toward seeing their progress. The treatment would be designed to treat the depressive symptoms that are often associated with ACL Injuries. This type of treatment would be administered by a licensed psychologist who could help the patient work through their struggles.

Rehabilitation Treatment 2:

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-21 22:47:23 UTC

Time Projection is another technique that could be used to treat the long-term effects of ACL Injuries. The treatment "involves the individual imagining himself or herself in the future or in the past" (NIH.GOV), " it is used to motivate the client to see himself or herself at a future stage in rehabilitation or to retrospectively reflect on progress made over the course of rehabilitation". (NIH.GOV) The treatment is meant to treat the anger and frustration that is associated with the injury. The treatment would likely be administered by a clinical psychologist as well.

None of these Rehabilitation Techniques are Necessary

kkathur1_1 — 2024-10-28 22:41:37 UTC

Given an ACL Injury, speech, hearing, and cognitive rehabilitation are not necessary as those aspects of an individual are not affected during an ACL Injury. The injury and it's rehabilitation techniques required strictly tend toward physical therapy and other physical based treatments.

Rehabilitation Treatment 1: Balance and Coordination Drills

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-04 22:47:32 UTC

This treatment is applied by requiring the patient to work through exercises on various surfaces that would help restore balance. It would be designed to treat increased risk of other health conditions along with instability within the knee. A physical therapist is required to deliver this treatment

Rehabilitation Treatment 2: Strengthening Exercises

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-04 22:49:07 UTC

These exercises are meant as a tool of increasing a patient's ability to put pressure and weight on their knee, often utilizing both weight and non-weight bearing exercises. This would be designed to treat instability in the knee along with increased risk of other health conditions. A physical therapist is required to deliver this treatment.

Lifestyle Change 1: Physical Therapy

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-18 22:47:04 UTC

Physical Therapy involves actively performing exercises with a licensed Physical Therapist who guides a patient in their recovery process by aiding with these exercises. On a scale from 1-10, I would rate Physical Therapy a 5 as there may be a financial component that may impact a patient's ability to access this treatment. Secondly, there's the difficulty of committing to the program and performing the exercises regularly on their own from physical therapy. You would need a licensed Physical Therapist for this lifestyle change.

Lifestyle Change 2: Modifying Activities

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-18 22:49:51 UTC

To prevent re-injury and allow time for the ACL to return to its former strength, one must modify their daily activities by altering them in ways that reduces the stress placed on the knee and the surrounding areas. This treatment can vary from 1-10 in difficulty based on the person and the lifestyle they live, therefore I'll rate it based on how difficult it would be for me, giving it a 7. A lot of the activities that I enjoy in life often involve putting pressure on your knee. This includes basketball, rock climbing, and hiking. As such, it would be difficult for me to modify these activities and it would greatly reduce the fun of these activities. You would not need a professional for this lifestyle change however a physical therapy can likely provide excellent advice and tips for best modifying your activities.

Intervention 1: Injury Prevention Programs

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-25 22:41:36 UTC

Injury prevention programs are programs that train athletes various methods of mitigating the risk of injury while simultaneously improving flexibility and strengthening at risk areas. This is designed to target the individual. A possible challenge to this is willingness of people to join. It seems unlikely that people would join such a program until an injury occurs which can defeat it's purpose.

Intervention 2: Modification and Education

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-25 22:49:47 UTC

Modification and Education is a public health intervention that provides education to coaches and professionals that allow for modification regarding sports that can reduce the risk of an ACL injury. The hardest part about this is finding ways for knowledge to spread and for coaches and professionals to actually act on the provided information.

Intervention 3: Risk Assessment

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-25 22:51:38 UTC

Risk Assessments are designed to evaluate an athlete or child on their risk of developing an ACL injury and can give athletes insight on their individual risks. The difficulty with implementing this is again scale and getting this technology to the greatest amount of people.

Intervention 4: Policy

kkathur1_1 — 2024-11-25 22:54:37 UTC

Policy is a public health intervention that requires certain changes to be made to sports or proper training to be required that serves as a means of preventing injury. The issue with this is passing policies and more legislation that will enable this.