From Rehab to Real World: Using AlterG and Video Feedback to Retrain Gait After Injury or Surgery
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Can an ACL Tear Heal on Its Own?
While many athletes experience an ACL tear, you don’t need to be a professional to have this type of injury.
All it takes is a motion with a force that exceeds the ACL’s natural range. The knee pain specialists at Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, P.C. in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, can help you with diagnosis and treatment for your ACL tear.
The role of the ACL
The ACL is the knee’s primary stabilizer when it comes to rotational stability. The ACL connects the femur and the tibia on an angle that forms a cross shape (cruciate) with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Usually ACL’s are injured during an obvious moment. Often there is a loud pop followed by knee instability.
ACL injuries
The ACL experiences injuries far more often than the PCL. There are three grades ranking the severity of ACL injuries:
- Grade 1: an ACL sprain, where the ligament is stretched but not torn
- Grade 2: the ACL experienced a partial tear
- Grade 3: the ACL is fully torn
Usually, an ACL injury occurs since there is the sensation or sound of popping, followed by knee instability. Often, there’s severe pain, but it is also possible to experience mild discomfort or slight pain.
Most ACL injuries can be diagnosed with a physical exam and confirmed with an X-ray. With severe injuries, we may suggest an MRI to investigate damage to other knee structures.
Can an ACL tear heal on its own?
For Grade 1 and Grade 2 ACL injuries, it is possible to recover without needing surgery. Braces and physical therapy can often be enough for grade 1 sprains, provided you modify your activities to reduce the chances of re-injury.
Grade 2 injuries often recover with conservative care and depend on the specifics of your injury. Again, you’ll need to modify your lifestyle while recovery is in progress.
Full-thickness tears, or Grade 3 injuries usually require surgery. Ligament is not well-supplied with blood, and are unable to heal on their own.
If you wish to continue with activities that carry a high risk of additional ACL injuries, surgery is likely your best bet to recover from Grade 3 injuries.
Hope for the future?
Results of a 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine indicate that there is more spontaneous healing of ACL tissue than previously thought, using a treatment technique called the Cross Bracing Protocol.
Tissue recovery was noted in 90% of the patients studied after three months of treatment. It is good news that holds promise for future non-surgical treatment, although additional research is needed to develop a clinical procedure.
ACL injuries are complicated and your treatment often depends on a variety of factors. If you have injured your ACL, contact Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, P.C., at our Lawrenceville office. Book an appointment online or call us directly to schedule your visit today.
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