| Football is popular in the UAE, Oman, Saudi | | | | of the menisci(semilunar cartilages) and this |
| Arabia and Bahrain. Every town in the Middle | | | | can lead to secondary |
| east has a large stadium and the game is | | | | osteoarthritisSymptomsThe person falls to the |
| played in the streets and village | | | | ground and is unable to continue the sport or |
| playgrounds. with the world cup around the | | | | activity which he was pursuing. He can feel |
| corner, many amateur footballers will try | | | | or hear a popping sound in the knee joint. A |
| their skills at the game.The game of football | | | | swelling develops rapidly. There is a feeling |
| extracts a heavy toll of ligament and | | | | of instability in the knee joint. Pain in the |
| cartilage injuries of the knee joint. These | | | | knee immediately, which worsens with the |
| are the commonest ligament injuries and the | | | | onset of swelling. Repeated giving away of |
| anterior cruciate ligament has been | | | | the knee can occur as the patient runs around |
| considered as the most valuable piece of | | | | curves or while coming downstairsWhat is the |
| connective tissue in the human body as | | | | future for a patient with an ACL |
| professional football clubs hand over | | | | injury?Complete ACL injuries result in |
| contracts to footballers worth several | | | | instability of the knee joint. Whenever the |
| millions of Euros and dollars and withdraw | | | | person runs or comes downstairs rapidly the |
| them immediately if the player is injured. | | | | tibia slides off the femur. This can lead to |
| The MOH hospitals in Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi | | | | repeated falls. These can result in injuries |
| Arabia treat a large number of knee injuries. | | | | to the semilunar cartilages or menisci. |
| There have been a larger number of new | | | | Meniscal tears can lead to mechanical |
| concepts in the treatment of this injury.ACL | | | | symptoms like locking or unexpected falls.A |
| Injury(anterior cruciate ligament injury) | | | | combination of persistent ligamentous laxity |
| | | | and meniscal tears can result in the |
| Anatomical background-The ACL (anterior | | | | development of secondary |
| cruciate ligament) is one of four ligaments | | | | osteo-arthritis.Treatment- RICE(Rest, ice, |
| stabilising the knee joint. Ligaments are | | | | compression, elevation). An ACL injury is a |
| cord like tissues, which connect one bone to | | | | serious one which needs medical attention |
| another. In the knee joint there are four | | | | immediately. The surgeon may aspirate the |
| ligaments, namely the medial collateral | | | | blood inside the joint to provide comfort. He |
| (inner), lateral collateral (outer), the | | | | may order a MRI scan to confirm the diagnosis |
| anterior cruciate and the posterior cruciate. | | | | immediately. An ACL injury can be treated |
| The anterior cruciate ligament runs from the | | | | conservatively in those individuals who are |
| back of the thigh-bone to the front of the | | | | willing to restrict their sporting activity. |
| inner side of the shin or leg bone. It | | | | For those unwilling to do so, surgical |
| prevents the leg bone from sliding off in | | | | treatment is advisable. Surgical treatment |
| front from the thigh bone. The ACL injury can | | | | consists of an examination under anesthesia, |
| be a partial sprain or a complete | | | | arthroscopy and ACL reconstruction. The |
| tearMechanism of injury-The most common | | | | orthopedic surgeon may decide to take a graft |
| mechanism is a sports injury where there is a | | | | from the patellar tendon or hamstrings. Bony |
| cutting or twisting injury to the | | | | tunnels are drilled through the tibia and |
| knee.Activities for riskInjuries in sports | | | | femur and the graft is fixed.The Author is a |
| like football when the player tries to tackle | | | | Knee specialist in Chennai doing arthroscopic |
| from the back, his knee twists and he falls | | | | surgery, Joint replacements, Arthroscopic ACL |
| to the ground. Involvements in other sports | | | | Reconstruction,Cartilage restorative surgery. |
| like basketball, cricket, skiing and hockey | | | | Operations are performed according to latest |
| can also result in ACL injury. A blow to the | | | | techniques at Knee & Shoulder centre, |
| knee from the front. Patients with cruciate | | | | Chennai. |
| ligament injuries are prone to develop tears | | | | |