Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common ligament injuries in athletes. The primary goal of treatment is to restore stability and function to the knee while preventing secondary lesions. Treatment modalities depend on the anatomic characteristics of the rupture, associated lesions, residual stability, and functional requirements of the patient. Conservative treatment consists of several weeks of physical therapy. A subsequent re-evaluation may still lead to surgical treatment at a later stage.
Although there are a variety of surgical treatments, the most common procedure remains ACL ligamentoplasty with one or more grafts (autografts, allografts).
The aim of this article is to recall the epidemiology, biomechanics, and current management of these lesions, thus allowing a better understanding by general practitioners, orthopedists, and sports physicians.
What is already known about the topic?
ACL injuries are very common, especially in young patients. Their occurrence must not be overlooked and their management must not be neglected, as this can result in an unstable knee that may lead to secondary injuries (chondral, meniscal, and ligamentous injuries).
What does this article bring up for us?
In this article, we review the epidemiology, biomechanics, and current management of these injuries to help general practitioners, orthopedists, and sports physicians better understand them.
Keywords
Anterior cruciate ligament, rupture, treatment