18 Surprising Reasons Your Knees Are Bothering You

2. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, as the name suggests, involves a partial or complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. Patients who play contact sports such as soccer, football, and basketball are at an especially high risk of this injury. The anterior cruciate ligament runs diagonally down the center of the knee. It is responsible for the rotational stability of the joint, and it also ensures that the tibia stays in place. Doctors use the term 'sprain' to describe an injured ligament. ACL sprains are divided into three categories according to severity. Most anterior cruciate ligament injuries are complete or nearly complete sprains. These are much more common than partial tears of the ligament. Patients who have had an anterior cruciate ligament injury may hear a popping noise at the time of the injury. They may also feel their knee give out from under them. There may also be discomfort while walking, and the knee generally swells within twenty-four hours of the injury. These injuries are typically treated with surgery using a tissue graft to reconstruct the ligament.