A few weeks ago we told you about the pubalgia and how to prevent it. Today we bring you all the information about the cruciate ligament rupture, another of the most common conditions among soccer players.
What is the cruciate ligament?
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cluster of collagen fibers that extends obliquely between the femur and the tibia. It inserts inside the knee joint and, although it is small in size, it is of great importance. It is called "cruciate" because it has that shape in space, relative to the posterior cruciate ligament and to the axes of the knee, in the frontal, sagittal, or lateral plane. Thus, the anterior cruciate ligament (in front) crosses to form an “X” with the posterior cruciate ligament (behind).
So… What is cruciate ligament rupture?
Most people who tear their anterior cruciate ligament have knee pain when they sustain the injury, and the knee is often swollen after the injury. In general, once the swelling is reduced or gone, people with an ACL tear can walk, but the knee may feel unstable, not weight-bearing, and lead to loss of balance or a fall.
Signs and symptoms of a posterior cruciate ligament injury may include:
- Mild to moderate knee pain, which may cause a slight limp or difficulty walking.
- Swelling. Knee swelling occurs a few hours after the injury.
- Instability. The knee may feel loose, as if it might collapse.
If there are no injuries associated with other parts of the knee, the signs and symptoms of a posterior cruciate ligament injury may be so minor that you may not notice that something is wrong. Over time, the pain may get worse and the knee may feel more unstable. If other parts of the knee are also injured, the signs and symptoms will likely be more severe.
How is it produced?
Most anterior cruciate ligament tears occur during sports activity. For example, when a person:
- Change direction or twist your knee when running
- He jumps and lands in a way that twists his knee
- Car accidents. A "dashboard injury" occurs when the driver's or passenger's bent knee strikes the dashboard, pressing on the tibia just below the knee and causing the posterior cruciate ligament to tear.
- Contact sports. Athletes who play sports such as soccer and football can tear their posterior cruciate ligament when they land on a bent knee with their foot pointed down. The tibia hits the ground first and moves backwards. This injury can also occur if you are knocked down with your knee bent.
Also, the anterior cruciate ligament can be torn if the knee is hit hard from the side.
Treatment
Immediately after injury, an anterior/posterior cruciate ligament tear is treated with the following:
- Rest, ice, compression (with an elastic bandage), and elevation (raise the knee)
- Pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Most partial tears can be treated with braces and physical therapy. During recovery, the person may need to use crutches. Some complete anterior or posterior cruciate ligament tears require surgery.
As coaches at FutbolLab we like to be prepared for any situation, knowing how to quickly identify a condition as painful as this can save our players and the team in general a lot of trouble. We have created the Master in Physical Preparation and Injury Prevention especially so that you take care of your players and be a great help to the team.
