Lucia Schirripa

How can a crucial ligament like the ACL be prevented from tearing?

Started May 30, 2024

Abstract or project description

Within the knee joint, there are a series of different ligaments and muscles that all work together to perform various tasks that the lower body must do in order for the rest of the body to perform daily tasks. One of the most important ligaments is the anterior cruciate ligament, the ACL, which is responsible for preventing the femur and tibia from colliding with each other over the knee cap. The ACL can be most commonly torn in sporting events when an athlete is cutting or changing direction unsteadily. After the ligament is torn, an immense amount of pain and swelling around the knee can be seen and felt. After surgery, the injury is known to take around nine to twelve months before an athlete can fully return back to his/her sport. Before rehabilitation after surgery and the physical therapy process, prevention is the first step to discussing this major injury. The forefront of preventing such a massive injury is taking a deeper look into an athlete’s warm-up before games, practices, and play. A proper warm-up does not just entail static stretches with a couple of running patterns. During the warm-up the five basic neuromuscular exercises must be hit, in order for the warm-up to be done successfully and to actually be useful. These five exercises include running, cutting, jumping, skipping, squatting, and balancing, which help to prepare the athlete’s body for play. There have been various prevention programs, such as the FIFA 11+ program or the “Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance” program, which include various methods of stretching and warming the body for play of any kind. Programs as such can run as long as up to three months, or even longer depending on the athlete’s response to the treatment and methods. Additionally, it has been found that increasing an athlete’s game-time awareness and strength can prevent injuries on all levels.