GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 23 – April 10, 2015 | Page 46

ACL INJURIES:
HOW THEY HAPPEN AND RECOVERY?
BY HANNAH OGUZ
APRIL 8, 2015
Tyrone native with Turkish roots, Hannah Oguz (MSc, BSc,
BA) is Exercise Physiologist and Sport Science Head of Research at the Institute for Sports Research, at University of Pretoria, South Africa. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) knee
injuries are a common blight for Gaelic Sports players today
and in Hannah’s monthly column, she examines ACL injuries,
recovery and prevention.
Three bones meet to form your knee joint: your thighbone (femur), shinbone (tibia), and kneecap (patella). Your
kneecap sits in front of the joint to provide some protection.
Bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are
four primary ligaments in your knee which act like strong
ropes to hold the bones together and keep your knee stable. Collateral ligaments are found on the sides of your knee.
The medial collateral ligament is on the inside and the lateral collateral ligament is on the outside. They control the
sideways motion of your knee and brace it against unusual
movement. Cruciate ligaments are found inside your knee
joint. They cross each other to form an “X” with the anterior
cruciate ligament in front and the posterior cruciate ligament in back. The cruciate ligaments control the back and
forth motion of your knee.
ANTERIOR CRUCIATE
The anterior cruciate ligament runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front
of the femur, as well as provides rotational stability to the
knee. About half of all injuries to the anterior cruciate lig-

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ament occur along with damage to other structures in the
knee, such as articular cartilage, meniscus, or other ligaments.
SEVERITY
Injured ligaments are considered “sprains” and are graded
on a severity scale. The ligament is mildly damaged in a
Grade 1 Sprain. It has been slightly stretched, but is still able
to help keep the knee joint stable. A Grade 2 Sprain stretches the ligament to the point where it becomes loose. This is
often referred to as a partial tear of the ligament. Grade 3
sprains are most commonly referred to as a complete tear of
the ligament. The ligament has been split into two pieces, and
the knee joint is unstable. Partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament are rare; most ACL injuries are complete or near
complete tears.
ACL INJURY CAUSES
The anterior cruciate ligament can be injured in several
ways:
• Changing direction rapidly
• Stopping suddenly
• Slowing down while running
• Landing from a jump incorrectly
• Direct contact or collisions, such as a football tackle
Several studies have shown that female athletes have a
higher incidence of ACL injury than male athletes in certain