The torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is one of the most common season-ending sports injuries. This injury has received a lot of press recently, particularly regarding the numerous female athletes who have sustained it. Fairport’s Caitlyn Howe and WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes are just two of the most recent athletes to sustain the injury. Regardless of whether the injury affects a male or female, rehabilitation can be tedious and last from 6 to 12 months.
Although many athletes undergo surgical reconstruction or repair of the torn ACL, there are some athletes who are able to participate in their sport without a surgical repair. This depends upon several factors, including the type of tear they sustain, which other structures are injured, and the amount of stability provided by other knee ligaments, cartilage and muscles within the same knee. When this injury occurs, the knee usually collapses and there is considerable pain and swelling. Anyone suffering this injury can usually sense a certain amount of instability in his/her own knee.. The knee will feel somewhat loose, as if it is slipping or even give out at times. With the help of orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists, athletes can make a decision regarding surgery. If the knee is very unstable, surgery will usually restore enough stability so that an athlete can return to their sport.
Following either surgical or non-surgical treatment (a prescribed period of rest and/or bracing), the injured knee must be rehabilitated. The goals of rehabilitation are to restore strength, motion, and functional ability, and to eliminate pain, swelling and instability. It is here where traditional strengthening exercises and specialized rehabilitation are merged. Traditional strengthening exercises will restore most of the strength to the muscles around the knee. Specialized stability exercises, usually taught under the supervision of a physical therapist, involve various hopping, pivoting, stepping and jumping maneuvers. This phase of rehabilitation is sometimes referred to as functional rehab, since it mimics things that the injured person may wish to be able to do without their knee giving out. The variety of functional rehab exercises used will depend upon what activity the injured individual is striving to return to. Some of the exercises are so helpful that many non-injured athletes are now using them to enhance performance and prevent injuries.
Tony Oliveri is a licensed physical therapist and owns Oliveri Physical Therapy and Sports Training in Rochester.
