The importance of the ACL is that it is the main stabiliser of the knee and without it fast pivoting and twisting actions become difficult and result in giving way of the knee. It is hard to get back to pivoting type sports without a good ACL. In addition repeated buckling or giving way of…
Injury to the ACL is diagnosed by detecting an increase in the forward movement of the tibia in relation to the femur. Normally such movement is prevented by the ACL. The examining doctor gently grasps the tibia and the femur and tries to detect the increased movement. Another of the tests is the Pivot Shift…
Typically, the ACL is injured in a non-contact, twisting movement involving rapid deceleration on the leg, or a sudden change of direction, such as during side stepping, pivoting or landing from a jump . Injuries are often associated with a popping sensation followed by swelling in the knee over the next few hours due to…
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the main restraining ligaments in the knee. It runs through the centre of the knee, from the back of the femur (thigh bone) to the front of the tibia (shin bone), and it acts as a link mechanism between the thigh and lower leg. The main function…
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Patient information and Rehabilitation Guidelines This section provides a summary of information relating to injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, covering what it is, how it is injured and how it is reconstructed. A summary is given of the rehabilitation plan with its stages right up to returning to sport. Full…
Indications for MRI Scanning MRI scans are indicated for patients with meniscal tears, patients with difficulty diagnosing ACL or ligamentous injury of the knee and for patients with traumatic chondral injuries. MRI is also indicated for patients with unexplained pain that do not fit any diagnostic categories. MRI scans should be restricted to patients with…
This group is patients where the categorisation is not clear or where the referring doctor wishes to consider early referral to MSCAT without dwelling on specific investigations or assessment. There are many additional causes of knee problems that may not fit into the above categories. These include the following: Problem joint replacement patients: need trial…
Diagnosis Patients complain of swollen and inflamed joints with no obvious trauma. There may be single or multiple joint involvements with or without system symptoms. There may be a history of flare-ups. There are multiple causes for inflammatory knee arthritis and management will depend on the diagnosis, usually initiated by blood test investigations including CRP,…
Description and Diagnosis In this group patients may complain of a recent injury or mechanical symptoms resulting in descriptions of giving way, clicking, catching or locking. There is usually a history of a recent soft tissue injury. There is usually no obvious osteoarthritis. They may have swelling associated with injury or have a history of…
