Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in Female Athletes
The knee is the largest and the most complex joint within the body, because of this, injury within this joint is a common occurrence. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a tough band of connective tissue that connects one bone to another. The ACL originates from the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia and extends to the lateral condyle of the femur. The ACL’s purpose is to keep the femur and the tibia from extending beyond their normal range. The ACL prevents anterior movement of the tibia as well as hyperextension from the knee. When injured, the ACL does not offer the stability that the knee joint needs for performance among athletes. When an athlete tears their ACL, the person may report hearing, as well as feeling a pop within their knee. Soon after an ACL is ruptured the knee swells. After some of the swelling goes down, individuals can usually walk on their knee but the joint feels unstable and may give out. Because of this, an ACL reconstruction surgery is needed in order to restore full stability to the knee joint and allow athletes to resume normal activities within their sport. The purpose of this review is to systematically look at some of the major risk factors associated with tearing the ACL in order to come to a conclusion on certain preventative measures that need to be taken by athletes in order to successfully lower the risk of an ACL tear.
BIOL 311, Anatomy and Physiology
Tammy Bovee
P114
11 – 11:30 AM