Sometimes knowing just why do you get ACL injuries can help u clear your mind and take the next step well. The reason I came up with a separate article on why do ACL injuries occur is that I’ve met more than 100 clients who experienced confusion, mind fogging or anxiety post their injury and were not able to decide what next step to take.
obviously when you incur the injury at first pain and swelling and disability make thinking a little difficult and trust me not know what to do can delay the treatment options.
Another reason why one must know why do these injuries occur so frequently is for the prevention of ACL injuries. Today, science has given us data, which helps us predict what all factors can lead to ACL injuries. using this information, physios design a prehab program for athletes who are prone to ACL injuries and help saving healthcare costs for that particular team.
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FACTORS INCREASING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ACL INJURIES:-
Gender bias:-
Female athletes have been reported to sustain non-contact ACL injuries at a rate two- to eightfold greater than their male counterparts. Many explanations for the increased risk of injury to female athletes have been proposed, including increased knee valgus or abduction moments, generalized joint laxity, knee recurvatum, ACL size, and the hormonal effects of estrogen on the ACL
Improper force generation of quadriceps and hamstrings:-
when the two thigh muscles namely; Hamstrings and Quadriceps contract together, they create a protective compression force on the knee joint which helps prevent ACL injuries. research has identified that lack of this force generation has lead to ACL tears.
Frontal Plane Motion
Excessive adduction moment at the knee in the frontal plane increases injury risk to the ACL. Landing from a drop jump and cutting maneuvers in sports are correlated with increased adduction moment at the knee. The drop jump may be performed with a single leg or double leg while the cutting involves a single limb. The amount of frontal plane adduction moment can be reduced or controlled to decrease the risk of injury to the ACL, and analysis of single-leg motion should be included as an assessment in sports injury prevention.
Fatigue and Single Limb Testing
Fatigue has been related to increased risk of injury in the athletic population. Athletes demonstrate increased motion in both the sagittal plane and frontal plane accompanied by greater ground reaction forces when fatigued. The hip and knee internal rotation increased with fatigue creating a valgus force at the knee and ground reaction forces increased with a single-limb hop. The combined increased ground reaction force and valgus at the knee predisposes the ACL to injury.
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Trunk Stability
Trunk position and hip motion strongly influence knee control during single limb and cutting motions [40•]. Decreases in trunk and hip strength and endurance result in larger center of mass (COM) displacement in athletics. Increased control of trunk and hip sagittal and frontal motions reduces COM displacement and frontal plane motion at the knee. This improvement in COM has been directly correlated to improvements in pitching mechanics and decreased injury rates in major league baseball players. Targeted training to the hip and trunk has been shown to improve frontal plane motion at the knee and improvements in athletic performance measures
Warm-Up and Mobility:-
Muscles and ligaments that are cold and stiff are far more prone to experience injuries. Warming up prior to intense activity can help to loosen muscles, which in turn may help to prevent injuries or reduce their severity (i.e. an ACL sprain as opposed to a complete tear).
Stretching is similarly important for loosening the body’s muscles and ligaments. Focus on improving the mobility of the muscles of the leg, especially the front and back muscles of the thigh. Stretching the rotational muscles of the ankle is similarly important, as a misguided twist of the ankle can cause the leg and knee to twist as well and may result in an ACL tear.
Lateral Displacement of the Pelvis During Squatting Motion
The squatting motion is an essential movement for the development of lower extremity strength, endurance, and the explosive power associated with sports. Variations in weight distribution during this motion will impact joint and ligamentous loading, soft tissue and ligamentous strain, and influence asymmetry in strength development. Lateral displacement of the pelvis occurs during a squatting motion results in altered force distribution and joint forces.
Inappropriate Footwear and poor technique:-
Ill-fitting shoes can impair your balance and increase the likelihood of trips, twists, and other awkward motions that send shock through your knee joint and may result in an ACL tear. Make sure that your footwear is properly fitted and that you are wearing all appropriate athletic gear.
Practicing proper athletic technique is essential for avoiding high-impact, damaging motions. Consult with a coach or physical trainer to ensure that your technique is safe and correct
The difference between playing surfaces:-
The difference of playing surfaces (e.g. wooden floor vs. turf) might affect the injury mechanism and the dynamic alignment. However, we believe that the Knee- in & Toe-out alignment at the time of the injury may be the most risky alignment against a noncontact ACL injury occurrence on any playing surface.
Biomechanical studies have identified increased frictional force at the shoe-surface interface, theoretically increasing the risk of injury relative to natural grass. This increase in frictional force is potentially relevant for the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, where noncontact mechanisms are frequent.however this study had a mixed result and needs more research into this matter.
Dynamic knee valgus position:-
Finally, the dynamic alignment of “Knee-in & Toe- out ”(i.e. dynamic knee valgus) was the most common, accounting for about half. These results enhance our understanding of the ACL injury mechanism and may be used to guide future injury prevention strategies.
These are a few factors that may be the reason you have incurred the ACL tear. to understand how physiotherapy can help with an ACL tear recovery check out this link ACL Injury or contact us via BOOK AN APPOINTMENT