Why I Chose this Topic?  Family friend suffered from it  Wanted to research how it happens and its causes  How it impacts a person’s life  Hope to become a physical therapist one day

Background  Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterior Cruciate Ligament  Three Categories based on Severity - Grade I - Grade II - Grade III

Background  Most common tear Grade III  50%-60% chance of suffering from osteoarthritis  10%-28% are Grade I or II  90% of ACL patients fully recover  100, ,000 happen each year in US

Causes and Risk Factors  Girls are 5-8 more times likely than boys  Tend to use ligaments  Shift weight and land in more straight-legged fashion  Wider hips and use quads

Causes and Risk Factors  Hyper-extension  Twisting knee  Sudden stop  Shift of weight  Direct contact

Causes and Risk Factors  Teens are highly affected  Football, Basketball, Soccer, Rugby, Gymnastics, and Skiing  Kids seem to focus on one sport

Symptoms  Hear and feel ACL pop  Buckle, “give out”  Swelling  May cause black and blue around knee  Difference when turning or running

Symptoms Emotional Symptoms  Remaining connected with sport team  Talk to peers who have experienced  Adults, physicians, or a sports psychology team can help l

Diagnosis and Treatment  Doctor will compare both knees  Pull against ligaments, resulting in a protruding knee  X-ray to see bone damage  MRI to see ligaments athletes-article knee/sm_pag_acl.htm

Diagnosis and Treatment Two options for Surgery  Reconstructive or Arthroscopic  ACL can be fixed using own tissue or donor tissue  Arthroscopic Surgery is easier  Another injury is a torn meniscus week.html

Diagnosis and Treatment Physical Therapy  4-12 months  Exercises and Motion  Help strengthen knee

Prevention  Good health and fitness  Reconstructive surgery  Perform surgery after growing /

Prevention  Stretch before participating in sports  Exercise programs  Coordinated Jumping and Landing  Be Aware of - Hips and Knees should be bent -Movements and Techniques  Appropriate sporting equipment

How did my research impact me? Personally  Injury is very common in teenagers  Understand what it’s like to experience ACL injury  Recognize patient’s emotional stress Academically  Want to become a Physical Therapist