BALTIMORE, Md. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – About 200,000 people will suffer an excruciating injury each year, known as an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL tear. An orthopedic surgeon explains how this serious injury can sometimes cause arthritis in young people, slowing them down and creating additional pain.
When playing sports like football and soccer, the human knee sometimes takes it on the chin. Young people involved in sports often suffer an anterior cruciate ligament injury, more commonly known as an ACL injury.
John-Paul Rue, MD, a Mercy Medical Center orthopedic surgeon, explains, “In this particular situation, there’s been an injury that has happened to the cartilage, sort of, the soft lining of the ends of the bones, and that injury, over time, progresses.”
Doctors perform surgery on ACL tears, which helps prevent recurrent injuries, but say they’ve not yet solved the problems related to post-traumatic osteo-arthritis.
“One of the devastating problems with an ACL injury is that it typically happens in a younger patient. Arthritis developing after an injury in a young person, because of their longevity, because of their lifespan,” Dr. Rue adds.
The joint narrows and can reach the painful point where it actually is bone-on-bone, making rehab, or even joint replacement necessary.
Dr. Rue mentions, “One of the newer modalities is blood flow restriction. And the idea of that is, essentially, a tourniquet around the leg or the arm to, basically, allow blood flow to kind of collect in that leg to allow the muscles to strengthen more efficiently.”
Dr. Rue says a qualified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in ACL reconstruction surgery is the only person who should perform this procedure on the patient.
Contributors to this news report include: Donna Parker, Producer; Kirk Manson, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499848/
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: REDUCING ACL ARTHRITIS IN YOUTH
REPORT: MB #5228
BACKGROUND: An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common sports injury that can occur during activities that involve sudden stops, twists, or changes in direction. The ACL is a strong band of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shinbone and helps stabilize the knee joint. When the ACL is injured, it can cause pain, swelling, and instability in the knee. It is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee and affects every one in 3,500 people. Arthritis is a common medical condition that affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced mobility. More than 22 percent of Americans suffer from arthritis. The risk of developing arthritis after an ACL injury depends on various factors, such as the severity of the injury, the age of the individual, and the level of activity.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350738)
DIAGNOSING: The symptoms of an ACL injury and arthritis can vary depending on the severity of the injury. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and instability of joints, popping in the knee, severe pain, rapid swelling, loss of range of motion, and feeling of instability. Diagnosing ACL injuries and arthritis both usually include tests such as x rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, and CT scans. Treatment for an ACL injury can vary depending on the severity of the injury and the individual’s activity level. In some cases, rest and physical therapy may be sufficient to heal the injury. However, in more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair or replace the torn ligament. Physical therapy and rehabilitation are often recommended after surgery to help regain strength and mobility in the knee.
(Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350738
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acl-injury/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350744
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350777)
NEW TECHNOLOGY: The use of blood flow restriction during rehabilitation from ACL injuries is growing as further research and successes on patients is continuing. It is suspected to improve muscular strength and size, neuromuscular control, and increase bone mineral density. The combination of blood flow restriction and low loads are believed to improve not only strength, but ease pains as well from ACL injuries.
(Sources:
https://www.arthroscopysportsmedicineandrehabilitation.org/article/S2666-061X(21)00215-7/fulltext
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dan Collins
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