What is an ACL injury? Pretty basic question. Sports pages assume you know, so it isn’t glossed in the text anymore. I’m no sports fan, so I don’t know.
The ACL is a ligament in your leg, specifically the knee, as I recall. I forgot what the “ACL” stands for though.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (unsure of spelling)
It’s the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. It stabilizes the knee and basically keeps your leg bones where they belong. It attaches to the tibia and the femur. It can get injured by twisting (changing direction suddenly) or landing improperly from a jump. The most common injury you hear about is a torn ACL.
My ex’s friend tore her ACL at a track meet. Very, very nasty. She was in a great deal of pain for a long time. It didn’t help that the doctor botched the operation. I believe she’s suing for damages now.
An online medical encyclopedia has an article on ACL injuries, including symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
Both an answer and a source to look it up in a matter of hours. Thanks all.
Ahh, ACL injuries. They are most definitely not fun. I had the misfortune to suffer an ACL/MCL/MM injury 17 years ago. The ACL and MCL (medial collateral ligament) were both 3rd degree (100% tears) and the medial meniscus was a mess. The ACL was repaired with sutures but the MCL had to stapled back to my tibia (makes for a really cool-looking x-ray!). Despite the what the treatment section of the article LNO linked had to say, some knee injuries never completely heal. I have a permanently limited range of motion and a high susceptibility to re-injury. Two additional surgical procedures have had little effect.
What is an ACL injury? Painful. Very, very painful.
I suffered a spiral tear of my right anterior cruciate ligament in a skiing accident. Then it ripped off of the bone. It kept me from following my life-long dream of flying jets off of carriers. I have a long scar, plus some nerve damage from the fall. As does sewalk, my range of motion is permanently limited. The sound of my body ripping to shreds is one that I will never forget. Sort of a snap/crackle/pop like mangling celery.
If you ever have a chance to tear out your ACL, don’t.
Funny you should mention that. My father had already been told by former Sen. David Boren (an old friend of Dad’s, from back before Dave was the OK’s Governor) that I had his appointment to Colorado Springs in the bag. I didn’t even bother taking my PSAT because I knew from the time I was 12 where I’d be going to college and that a National Merit Scholarship would be pretty redundant. Then the week after the PSAT, snap, crackle, and pop.