You need to understand the basic structure first. The ACL is basically the link between the tibia and the femur. The ligament itself runs diagonally and stops the femur being pushed over the tibia or another kind of rotation. Basically, there’s been a sheering force down on the knee and there’s been mass affliction with rotation. ACL injuries represent a lengthening of the ACL ligament or a tear.
Recommended rehab exercise: The first and most important thing is to refer to a physio first, because it all depends on the circumstances and the injury. Generally speaking, you’ll initially do isometric exercises, with a stiff, straight leg. You then progress to elastic band exercises after range-of-motion exercises. It’s all about mobility and you’ll also use an EMS (Electro Muscle Stimulation) machine, just to get the muscles firing again.
Estimated time of recovery: It generally ranges from between three to four months. However, depending on the individual circumstances, it may take longer. It could be that the player’s hamstring wasn’t ideal and couldn’t graft properly.
How to prevent this injury from recurring: You can use stabilisation exercises and proprioceptive exercises. You can use strapping and taping or even a brace. It creates very good kinaesthetic awareness. Your brain and your knee speak to each other all the time, so you need to create a sense of complete awareness. But nothing can replace resistance training and you need to be as strong as possible.
Article written by EPT – The Ultimate Sports Recovery Experts