ACL injury; Scary for Athletes - Is it Dangerous?

ACL injuries haunt many athletes. Indiscriminately, from amateur players to many professional athletes who experience this injury. This injury itself can cause a decrease in performance, and it is not uncommon for this complaint to push players to retire early from their profession. as happened to professional footballers Virgil Van Dijk, Radamel Falcao, and many other players. What is ACL, why does it haunt players, and how do you deal with it?

The anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly known as the ACL, is a connective tissue that forms a cross configuration in the middle of the knee, connects the femur to the top of the shin bone, and is an important structure that maintains the stability of the knee joint. During activity

1. These injuries often occur due to excessive stress on the knee:

2. Deceleration (stopping) movements and sudden changes in direction.

3. Pivot/twisting movement when the foot supports the load on the floor

4. Landing after a jump in an incorrect or incorrect position

5. Direct impact to the knee

Several risk factors can cause injury to this ligament.

• Gender: The risk of ACL injury is higher in women than in men. This relates to muscle strength and anatomical and hormonal differences.

• Insufficient heating and cooling

• Using footwear that does not fit when doing activities

• Doing certain sports such as basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and skiing

Symptoms and signs of an ACL injury usually include:

• A "pop" sound/sensation in the knee

• Severe pain, unable to continue activities

• Sudden swelling

• Limited range of motion of joints

• The sense of the knee feeling "shifted."

If Hermina's friend has a knee injury that causes symptoms of an ACL injury, you should immediately consult a doctor or the nearest health facility. Determining the severity of the damage and receiving appropriate treatment is important. Therefore, a prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential.

Suppose you only have a mild ACL injury. In that case, chances are the doctor will recommend doing R-I-C-E treatment at home as first aid, namely rest (resting and limiting pressure on the knee), ice (compressing the knee with ice), and compression (wrapping the knee with elastic cloth). And elevation (raising the knee higher than the heart's position).

Rehabilitation therapy can also be done to treat ACL injuries. A physical therapist will teach you several exercises you can do with supervision or at home. However, surgery is necessary if the ACL injury does not heal and gets worse or if more than one ligament is injured.