1. http://www.howardluksmd.com/sports-medicine/partial-anterior-cruciate-ligament-acl-tears/

2. 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 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm

3. Background  Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Posterior Cruciate Ligament  Three Categories based on Severity - Grade I - Grade II - Grade III http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/10200450/pcl-tear-posterior-cruciate-ligament-pcl-injur.htm http://drhalbrown.com/osteoligreview.php

4. 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  100,000-250,000 happen each year in US http://www.regenexx.com/the-regenexx-procedures/knee-surgery-alternative/osteoarthritis-knee/

5. 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 http://www.janettv.com/15-ways-females-prevent-acl-injuries http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/bone.htm

6. Causes and Risk Factors  Hyper-extension  Twisting knee  Sudden stop  Shift of weight  Direct contact http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/ACL-knee-injuries.html http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hyperextensions-1.png http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=287

7. Causes and Risk Factors  Teens are highly affected  Football, Basketball, Soccer, Rugby, Gymnastics, and Skiing  Kids seem to focus on one sport http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball http://americanfootballon.blogspot.com/2012/06/what-is-american-football.html http://blogs.independent.co.uk/author/davehadfield/ http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/gymnastics/images/32311275/title/aly-raisman-photo http://www.infobarrel.com/Media/Skiing_3 http://evidencebasedliving.human.cornell.edu/2011/08/08/new-insights-into-the-teenage-brain/

8. Symptoms  Hear and feel ACL pop  Buckle, “give out”  Swelling  May cause black and blue around knee  Difference when turning or running http://ortho.com.sg/main/faqs-on-anterior-cruciate-ligament-tears/http://www.johnpostmd.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

9. Symptoms Emotional Symptoms  Remaining connected with sport team  Talk to peers who have experienced  Adults, physicians, or a sports psychology team can help http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/07/bud_shaws_sports_spin_meaning.htm l http://blog.timesunion.com/mdtobe/what-the-pediatrician-says-to-your-teen-when-you-leave-the-room/942/

10. 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 http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/anterior-cruciate-ligament-tears-plague-teenage- athletes-article-1.1431375 http://www.momsteam.com/delay-acl-surgery/early-acl-reconstruction-strongly-recommended-young-athletes-says-study http://www.sportsmed-forum.com/index-1/st_pag_patients-home/sm_pag_case-studies-2/sm_pag_case- knee/sm_pag_acl.htm

11. 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 http://www.aclsolutions.com/surgery_5.php http://www.sports-injury-info.com/acl-reconstruction-the-first- week.html http://ehealthmd.com/content/whats-wrong-your-knee#axzz2tFpBjJiM

12. Diagnosis and Treatment Physical Therapy  4-12 months  Exercises and Motion  Help strengthen knee http://www.soccermaniak.com/acl-injury-rehab.html

13. Prevention  Good health and fitness  Reconstructive surgery  Perform surgery after growing http://guardianlv.com/2013/10/health-and-fitness-is-one-of-many-things-being-marketed-in-the-u-s/ http://ferrara03.wordpress.com/tag/college /

14. 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 http://balatonieletmod.hu/csak-a-zene-es-a-futas/ http://www.monsterworking.com/2013/02/01/cool-jobs-big-game-sports-edition/

15. 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 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm http://www.thecenternyc.com/physical-therapy/ http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2013/05/23/5-signs-your-body-is-aging-too-fast/