An anterior cruciate ligament or ACL injury can range from a small partial tear causing minimal pain, to a complete rupture resulting in significant pain and disability, requiring comprehensive rehabilitation and potentially surgery.
The ACL is one of the major ligaments critical in maintaining stability in the knee joint. Your ACL is made of tough fibrous tissue and connects the femur to the tibia. Its main role is to limit twisting and control excessive knee motion by limiting the mobility of the joint.
The most common problem relating to the ACL is a tear, which is a painful and significant injury, especially for those who play sport. ACL tears generally occur when suddenly decelerating, pivoting or landing from a jump and are very common in football, netball, basketball, soccer, skiing and gymnastics.