Cruciate ligament tear - causes and new therapeutic approaches

When the legs are swollen and cause severe pain

Swollen legs, severe pain, a crackling noise and suddenly yielding joints - who has ever suffered a cruciate ligament, do not forget this moment again. Sports physician and neurosurgeon Michael Eichler, Head of the Fulda Spine Center | Main | Kinzig, knows the pitfalls of the injury.

contents

• When the legs are swollen and cause severe pain
• How does a cruciate ligament tear develop??
• Which treatment options are available?

"Cruciate ligaments unfortunately do not grow together by themselves," he explains. Affected persons therefore only have the possibility of either compensating for the instability of the joint by means of a lot of strength training or undergoing an operation. Especially younger professional athletes advise physicians to the latter, since a surgical intervention for them in the long term less health risks.

In conservative treatment, a cruciate ligament rupture, the knee is provided with a splint that must be worn for several weeks. (Image: Production Perig / fotolia.com)

How does a cruciate ligament tear develop??

Few connective tissue strands keep upper and lower legs together. Among others, the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments provide stability. If one of the two tears, this leads not only to severe pain and swelling but also to a feeling of inexperience leading to a feeling that the knee joint is shifting. Rarely, there are injuries to the somewhat thicker posterior cruciate ligament. They are usually caused by external violence such as bicycle, motorcycle and car accidents. In contrast, anterior cruciate ligaments tear more frequently and without external influences.

Causes include excessive stretching or bending, especially in ball sports or on slopes when skiing. "If, for example, the lower leg turns outward during a descent with skis, while gravity pulls down the thigh, the anterior cruciate ligament becomes overstretched and it tears," Dr. Eichler. In ball sports, quick deceleration with the leg most often causes this type of injury.

Which treatment options are available?

Shortly after a cruciate ligament rupture sufferers should first up the leg and cool. In addition, pressure bandages and analgesics help with the healing process. In a second step, extensive physiotherapy and strength training are used to alleviate the swelling and build up the thigh muscles. "

While in cases of ACL tear in many cases conservative measures are sufficient, is recommended for an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament especially in younger professional athletes surgery, "said the head of the spine center. One of the most suitable treatment methods is the so-called cruciate ligament replacement procedure.

As soon as the patient is under anesthesia, doctors remove tendon material from the incisor via a cut just two centimeters long. From this they prepare a kind of cruciate ligament replacement and fix it between the upper and lower leg bones.

After six to twelve weeks, the plastic is usually completely healed with the help of training and a stabilizing splint and has the same resilience as a healthy cruciate ligament. Inasmuch as professional athletes keep to the regeneration time and have enough muscle, a comeback and the participation in competitions are possible. (Sb)