The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four important ligaments of the knee joint. Together, they connect and stabilize the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone). The ACL crosses the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the center of...
The anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL, has a very important job. It's one of the four main ligaments that hold your leg bones together at the knee. Unfortunately, the ACL is also one of the most commonly injured parts of the knee....
When the ACL tears, you can't repair it just by stitching it up. It would be like trying to sew up the ends of two mops together. The only exception is in pediatric patients. Sometimes their ligament doesn't tear, but pulls a chip of bone off...
The anterior cruciate ligament prevents your tibia, or shin bone, from shifting ahead of the femur, or thigh bone, keeps the tibia at the correct angle relative to the femur and prevents excess tibial rotation. ACL tears, which occur when you...
The anterior cruciate ligament is usually referred to as the ACL. Its location in the knee makes it vulnerable to pain and injury. Professional and recreational athletes, especially those who participate in skiing and football, are particularly...
A sprain is an injury that causes one or more ligaments to stretch or tear. Ligaments connect the bones in your joints, so a ligament sprain can make a joint unstable and increase the risk of further injury. The anterior cruciate ligament -- also...
Physical therapists and exercise physiologists have long debated the use of the leg extension machine. The concern mainly lies in damaging forces placed on the joints of the knee. The leg extension machine can be used safely but should not be the...
Perhaps you were skiing, or maybe you were playing soccer or volleyball. Everything was fine, until you fell backward and heard a foreboding popping sound in your knee. Your doctor confirms that you tore your anterior cruciate ligament, also...
Arthroscopic knee surgery, otherwise known as a knee scope, is a common term when talking about football-related injuries because knee injuries are quite common in the game. Players often are required to make sharp cuts at high rates of speed,...
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine estimates more than 150,000 athletes tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACL, each year. It is one of four ligaments that stabilize the joint and is situated at the front of the knee....
To prevent a knee injury or recover from one, do stretches to strengthen the muscles that surround the knee and help it move. Knees are complicated joints and they can be injured in athletic competition, automobile accidents, household falls or...
To lead an active lifestyle, joints of the body must be stable. Without stability, balance is impaired, agility compromised and precise movement impossible. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a ligament that stabilizes the knee joint to...
Your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four ligaments that connect the bones in your knee joints. The ACL is also one of the most injured ligaments in the knee. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, an estimated...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four main ligaments that stabilize your knee joint. It is responsible for preventing your tibia bone in your lower leg from popping forwards and out from under thigh bone, within the knee...
An anterior cruciate ligament tear affects the ligaments in your knee and is fairly common among athletes. While some minor tears only require rest ad rehabilitation, others -- including severe and repeat tears -- require surgery to patch the...
The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the human body. Its four ligaments provide stability to the joint. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments, on the sides of the knee, control sideways motion. The posterior and anterior...
Females athletes tend to be more prone to knee injuries than male athletes, particularly anterior cruciate ligament injuries, with females being up to two and a half times more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligaments. A number of factors...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one the major ligaments that provides stability to the knee. Injury to the ACL commonly occurs during non-contact athletic movements that involve aggressive stopping or rapid changes of direction. This...
Ligaments connect the thigh bone to the lower leg bones and provide knee stability. Your medial and lateral collateral ligaments run along the inner and outer sides of your knee while the posterior and anterior cruciate ligaments cross the front...
The knee is composed of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.The ligaments connect the bones of the knee together and keep the knee stable. A ligament injury can occur when a person makes sudden accelerates in running, twists the knee or lands...
Of the four competition strokes in swimming -- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle -- breaststroke is the slowest. For example, the world record for the men's 100-meter breaststroke is just 58.58, while the world record for the men's...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four major stabilizing ligaments in the human knee. A tear to the ACL may require a rest from exercise. When you do begin to exercise, you will most likely need to avoid certain types of...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four main ligaments that support the knee. The ACL crosses the front of the knee diagonally, and provides support during rotation as well as keeping the tibia from sliding in front of the...
A torn ACL ligament can mean significant pain and decreased mobility as well as an inability to perform day-to-day functions or take part in certain sports. Because of the location of the ligament and its importance in daily motions, it is crucial...
Ligaments in the skeletal system are composed of connective tissue containing collagen and elastic fibers. Ligaments may be narrow, thick, thin or triangular in shape and form. These tough fibrous cords surround and bind joints together, providing...
Playing basketball can injure the ligaments, cartilage and tendons in your knee. Common knee injuries for basketball players include: torn anterior cruciate ligaments, torn menisci, patellar tendinitis and complete patellar tendon tears. Proper...
Knee injuries are commonplace among athletes such as football players and wrestlers. However, ACL injuries are considered more rare. Indeed, wrestlers can and do continue after ACL surgery. More than a few collegiate wrestlers have done so. It is...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is vital for athletes, especially in sports that require starting and stopping. There are some players who can function without an ACL and still play effectively, even in the demanding running and cutting...
An ACL tear occurs when your anterior cruciate ligament, which connects your femur and tibia bone, rips. The tear can be minor or completely torn in two. Football players are susceptible to this injury because of the physical nature of the sport...
A groin strain can be painful and limiting of an athlete's mobility. Learn how to treat a groin strain in this sports medicine video.
The ACL is one of the four major ligaments in this knee, and the most commonly injured. Get tips and advice on health and medical issues in this wellness video.
A hyperextension injury of the knee can lead to an ACL tear if left untreated. Learn how to treat and care for a hyperextension injury specific to the knee in this health video.
Knee injuries such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage are generally very painful and can be a reoccurring cause of knee pain and doctor's visits. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for knee injuries in this video.