One of the most common knee injuries is an anterior cruciate ligament sprain- tear. Athletes who participate in high demand sports like football, and basketball are more likely to injure their ACL.  3 bones form the knee joint: the femur , tibia , and patella . This bonesare connected to other  by 4 ligaments (primary ligaments). in your knee.  The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is on the inside, the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is on the outside. They control the side-to-side motion of your knee and brace it against unusual movement. The crusiats cross each other to form an X, with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in front and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in back. The cruciate ligaments control the front and back motion of your knee. The anterior cruciate ligament prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur and provides rotational stability to the knee.

acl tear

The anterior cruciate ligament can be injured

  • Changing direction rapidly
  • Stopping suddenly
  • Slowing down while running
  • Or Direct contact 
acl tear

Treatment for  ACL tear will  depends on the patient’s individual needs. A young athlete involved in agility sports will  usually require surgery  A less active older, individual may be able to return to a normal  life without surgery.