Summary: ACL injuries are on the rise in women, and ACLs are the most common knee injury. In fact over 200,000 torn ACLs occur in the U.S. each year.Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four ligaments that are located in your knee to provide stability. When a quick change of direction or if part of your knee comes in contact with a hard object, or a pivot happens in your knee, your ACL can be torn. You will know for sure if you've torn your ACL when your knee pops, swells and you feel excruciating pain. When your ACL is torn, your knee can become unstable. Surgery is an option, since there is a way to reconstructing your ACL from other tissue. This gives your knee back the stability it lost during the injury. Is there any way to you can prevent an ACL injury from happening? There are ACL prevention programs that teach athletes certain positions that are helpful in changing directions, positions to avoid and exercises that can be done. Orthopedic surgeon with Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Dr. Eric Chehab joins Melanie Cole, MS to discuss ACL injuries, prevention and treatment options for female and male athletes.
