1. By: Lauren Gregg Tech and Assess

2.  Anterior Crucial Ligament  One of four ligaments in the knee that basically holds the knee together  Provides stability

3.  ACL injuries typically occur to athletes  80% are non contact  More common in females because of different hip structure  Most prevalent in soccer, football, basketball, skiing, and rugby

4.  Most tears occur in athletics  Other tears can occur in motor vehicle collisions, falls, and work related injuries  Most come from pivoting or landing from a jump  The knee gives out from under the athlete when it is torn

5.  ACL Tear (Sports Injury) ACL Tear (Sports Injury)

6.  Necessary to be sure that the ligament is torn and to see how bad the tear is  Helps decide what type of surgery is needed and on which ligaments

7.  Important to do exercises before surgery to regain muscle strength and ROM  Hamstring and quadriceps exercises  Full range of motion: biking, straightening and bending knee all the way, etc.

8.  Done several weeks after injury occurs  Reconstructed using a cadaver or other ligaments in body ◦ Patellar tendon, hamstring, etc

9.  Knee joint loses flexibility  Little to no range of motion  Muscles around knee and thigh atrophy

10.  Most important part of the surgery process  Very lengthy time period (usually 6-8 months until full recovery)  required to regain pre-surgery strength and use

11.  Phase One: early rehab phase; reduce pain and swelling  Phase Two: weeks 3 and 4; joint protection  Phase Three: weeks 4-6; more difficult exercises to increase ROM

12.  Phase Four: weeks 6-8; moderate protection, try to gain full ROM  Phase Five: weeks 8-10; light activity phase  Phase Six: week 10 until recovery; full activity

13.  Hamstring stretches  Quadriceps stretches

14.  Stationary Bike ◦ Increases strength and range of motion ◦ It is non weight bearing, which is good for the joints ◦ Improves stability ◦ Builds up quadriceps muscles

15.  Wall slide  Straight leg raises  Hamstring Curl  Step ups

16.  Knee Strengthening/Rehab Exercises Knee Strengthening/Rehab Exercises YouTube Video

17.  All athletes need functioning ACLs  Those who do not play sports can get through their daily lives without an ACL  Athletes have high demands for cutting, pivoting, jumping, planting, and turning

18.  Here are some athletes who have torn their ACLs and are still extremely successful

19.  wider hips; ligament laxity at certain stages of the menstrual cycle  the smaller size of the notch the ligament connects to the femur in the upper leg  a tendency to land straight- legged and knock-kneed;  core instability; a greater imbalance than men in the strength of the hamstring to the quadriceps, or thigh muscle  Caroline Doty (below) plays for University of Connecticut and tore her ACL for the THIRD time last season

20.  Warm up  Stretching  Strengthening  Plyometrics  Agilities  Cool down