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Symptoms of a torn ACL can include:
A mild injury may not have symptoms.
See your healthcare provider if you injure your knee. If it hurts, don’t put weight on it. If your knee is swollen, put ice on it until you get to the healthcare center.
An ACL tear is most commonly caused by:
To find out if an ACL injury is the cause of your symptoms, your healthcare provider can:
An ACL injury will not heal on its own. Your healthcare provider may recommend:
You and your healthcare provider will decide together if surgery is the best plan for you. This decision is based on your age, activity level, and other health conditions. Ask about how your outcomes might be different with or without surgery. Ask how these might affect your ability to do the activities you want to do.
To reduce your chances of having an ACL injury, you can:
People who have suffered an ACL injury are more likely to be reinjured. In some cases, it may be necessary to avoid or stop participating in certain sports or activities to prevent injury.
A ligament is a band of tissue that attaches one bone to another. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is 1 of the 4 main ligaments that attach the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia). The ACL keeps the shin bone in place and the knee from buckling (“giving out”) during physical activity.
An ACL tear is a serious knee injury. It’s common in people who do sports that involve running combined with pivoting and jumping, such as football, basketball, and soccer. A damaged ACL will not heal on its own.