presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, shows that the overall rate of another injury within 2 years to the ACL—on the same or the opposite knee—is six times greater among athletes who undergo ACL reconstruction surgery and return to sport than among those who have never had an ACL tear.
So, here's the deal, you beat surgery, but the likelihood of tearing the same or opposite knee is there. It could happen again. You need to recognize that by going back to sports there is a higher risk of tearing the opposite or same knee. The most important thing to remember is to not return to sports until your knee is 100% ready. Returning to sports too soon just increases the chance of a second injury. However, in some cases it just happens. For example, I did not return to sports until 9 months after surgery and I still tore my other ACL and my meniscus. Just know that sports like basketball, soccer and volleyball are high risk sports for ACL injuries and that doubles your risk of another injury. At the same time, if sports are what you love, like me, you'll know if the risk is worth it. It's a tough decision to make, but with support you will find the answer. Hopefully, by sharing my experiences and by giving you the facts you can prevent an ACL tear or know how to handle the situation if you obtain an injury. Click the twitter link above: ACL support group; athletes who are going through the same thing that you are share posts and wish each other good luck & support each other through recovery. Best motivational speech/video I have ever listened too. Add it to your iPod/iPhone and listen to it everyday. Find your motivation to get you through recovery, it's the only way to push through and reach your goals. You need to be self-motivated to get better and to get back on the field or the court.
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She's one tough CookieSo, you are sitting in the doctor's office and you just heard your doctor say, you have torn your anterior cruciate ligament. What's next for you? Well ladies you do have options, surgery or no surgery. Most likely, if you are ever going to play sports again you will have surgery. So here are some tips for before and after surgery, as well as some recommendations for those good ol' surgeons that will patch you up.
Know any good Knee Doc's? Why yes I doSince going through my own surgeries I have an opinion, I repeat only an opinion on what doctor(s) I trust and think are amazing. I personally had my surgery done in New York City at The Hospital for Special Surgery, by Dr. Thomas Wickiewicz. The experiences I have had at that hospital I'll remember forever. I was treated with the upmost respect and appointments were easy to make without being on a long waiting list. Dr. Wickiewicz took the time to chat with me not only about my injury, but also about what I did with my life and what I wanted to do in the future. I had amazing nurses who also demanded a hug from me before I left to take my journey home. It helps that HSS and Dr.Wickiewicz are both nationally ranked in orthopedics surgery. The Hospital for Special Surgery is ranked number one in the nation for orthopedics surgery by U.S News and World Reports. Here are some other top hospitals, but make sure thorough research is done to find which doctor is right for you. This is a very delicate and important surgery and you want to make sure that you are set to recover with minimal issues.
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/orthopedics First off what is this "ACL" that you speak of?ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament is the major ligament in the knee. Ligaments are long, rope-like bands that fasten bones together and the ACL helps give the knee its stability. So an ACL is kind of like the headbands we female athletes love to wear; when tight they keep our hair in place, but when loose or when they break our hair becomes unstable and to our face it goes. The ACL keeps the knee stable and allows for hard cuts and diagonal movements.
So, why have ACL tears flourished in the female athlete society in the last half decade?
Click Links to read studies done on female athletes & ACL injuries: http://o http://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.1996.24.2.91#.U2kPz15bTwI http://o http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096145/ Prevention of ACL Injury: Do you even Lift?The first thing that young female athletes must come to terms with is that an ACL injury could happen to you. The right measures need to be taken in order to prevent this from happening, unfortunately there is not one specific way to prevent an ACL injury. Doctor's and trainers can all agree that lifting to strengthen the muscles around the ligament like the quads and hamstrings can further prevent injury. The correction of the way a female athlete lands after she jumps is another way to prevent injury. When most women jump and land their knees, due to their wider Q-Angle (see photo above) go inward, which is one of the ways injury can occur to the ACL. Trainers and physical therapists work with female athletes to correct this by having females practice keeping their knees parallel and at a 90 degree angle (or over their feet) when landing or when lifting.
http://contemporarypediatrics.modernmedicine.com/contemporary-pediatrics/news/prevention-acl-injuries-adolescent-female-athletes |