ACL Injuries

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Recover Quickly and Optimally

Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are one of the most common injuries among athletes and sportspeople, especially in contact sports such as football. There are many causes of ACL injuries, such as playing on slippery surfaces, sudden stops or turns, landing awkwardly from a jump, and contact with another player.

Getting an accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment is the key to recovering at an optimal time from an ACL injury and getting back to your active lifestyle.

At Movement Orthopedic Institute, our focus is on putting you back on your feet in the quickest time possible with cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment options. The Institute is headed by Dr. George Ozoude, the medical director and the leading orthopedic surgeon with specialized training in sports medicine, orthopedic surgery, and minimally invasive arthroscopy.

What Is an ACL Injury?

An ACL injury is a tear or rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). An anterior cruciate ligament is a ligament that connects the tibia (shin bone) and femur (thigh bone) of the human body to help stabilize the knee. An ACL injury most commonly occurs during sports that involve sudden stops or changes in direction, jumping, and landing, such as soccer, basketball, football, and downhill skiing.

The ACL injury affects the knee joint that becomes unstable, raising the risk of other injuries if not treated in time.

person with knee pain

How to Know if you have an ACL injury

An ACL injury usually occurs when the foot plants and twists inward while the knee bends, which stresses the ligaments. Some of the symptoms include:

  • A popping sound
  • Swelling
  • An inability to put weight on the knee
  • Pain that increases with kneeling or jumping
  • Reduced range of motion in the knee

Treatment Options for ACL Injury

If you are experiencing these symptoms, the first step is to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ozoude. At the initial consultation, the specialist will go over your medical history, your symptoms, and their root cause. Apart from a thorough physical examination, the doctor will order x-rays and an MRI as needed to make an accurate diagnosis.

While people with mild ACL injuries may heal with rest and rehabilitation, more severe injuries require surgery. The goal of the surgery is to remove the damaged ACL and replace it with a graft tendon (tendons are tissues that connect bone to muscle). The graft tendon may be taken from your own knee, hamstring, quadriceps, or from a donor.

At Movement Orthopedic Institute, Dr. Ozoude is skilled at using minimally invasive arthroscopy to perform ACL reconstruction surgery. This minimizes discomfort and risks while speeding up the recovery phase. You will be able to go home the same day of the surgery.

The doctor will advise you on the rehabilitation phase, where you will be required to rest from activity and build strength in your leg muscles with physical therapy. Pain medication is usually prescribed to help ease discomfort and inflammation following surgery.

Schedule an Appointment

ACL injuries need not mean complete abstinence from sports and an active lifestyle. Dr. George Ozoude is well-known for his exceptional skills in the field of sports medicine and minimally invasive surgery that gets you back to full health in a quick time. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Ozoude today.

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