What Does The Term "ACL" Mean?

The full form of the acroym ACL is Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The ACL is among the four major ligaments which are responsible for the stability of your knee joint. The medial collateral ligament (MCL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) accompany the ACL, helping to provide your knee with support.

What happens when your ACL is injured?

The easy answer is that your knee will become more unstable. When the ACL has becomed injured, the instability is noticeable when a person tries to make sudden, pivoting movements. An ACL injury can actually make an individual more prone to developing cartilage tears and arthritis. People often complain that their knee will make a popping sound when it is injured, and subsequently, they feel like their knee is "giving away" underneath them. Sudden swelling of the knee joint can also occur and people often complain of pain in their knee while they are walking.

How Do You Know If You Injured Your ACL?

Visiting your physician is important to determine if you have injured your ACL. He or She will also be able to determine the severity of the injury. Directly after an incident, it may be more difficult to diagnose an ACL injury due to swelling, muscle spasms, and associated pain. The Lachman test and the Pivot Shift Maneuver are two tests that your physician may use to help determine the health of your ACL. The use of a x-rays can also help to determine the health of your ACL.

Your ACL's Significance In Sports

High demand sports require a healthy ACL when doing cutting movements, sudden turns, and pivoting. If your ACL is not healthy the use of a well designed knee brace can help provide stability to your knee. Sports such as football, basketball, skiing, soccer, hockey (Ice and Field), wrestling, gymnastics, rugby, Tennis, lacrosse and cheerleading are all considered to be high demand sports because of the stresses that can be placed on your ACL while participating in them.