acute

ACL injury

An cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during injury, instability of the knee, and joint swelling. Swelling generally appears within a couple of hours. In approximately 50% of cases, other structures of the knee such as surrounding ligaments, , or meniscus are damaged.

Underlined words are explained — tap any of them.

Symptoms — what it feels like

·Audible "crack" with pain, knee instability, swelling of knee

Causes — why it happens

·Non-contact injury, contact injury

How it's found

·Physical exam, MRI

Prevention

· training, core strengthening

Treatment

·Braces, physical therapy,

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Plain-language summary adapted from Wikipedia. Not medical advice.