The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most frequently injured ligaments of the knee joint. Most often, the mechanism of this trauma is associated with sports activities and consists in a sharp valgus curvature of the lower leg. The rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee must be necessarily treated. Ignoring this problem for a long time can lead to severe arthritis .
Symptoms of ligament rupture
A rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee occurs with a loud click. Immediately after the injury, the knee is swollen, as there is bleeding in the joint cavity. With a complete rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee, the following symptoms appear:
- restriction of movements;
- acute pain;
- sensation of instability of the joint.
After this injury, go alone and rely on the leg, which is traumatized, should not be. This will lead to serious consequences.
Treatment of ligament rupture
Treatment of rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee should begin with the removal of pain and swelling of the joint. This can be done with the help of ice compresses and anti-inflammatory drugs . The patient shows rest, physiotherapy, as well as exercise therapy. In the presence of hemarthrosis, it is necessary to suck up the accumulating liquid.
If you do not conduct an active lifestyle, you can completely do without surgery, but during the treatment of rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee should ensure stability of the joint. For this, you need to wear a support, a bandage or an orthosis. Effective this therapy will be:
- for children or adolescents with open areas of bone tissue growth;
- with partial ruptures without symptoms of instability;
- for the elderly;
- with complete ruptures without symptoms of instability, manifested in everyday life.
If the mobility of the joint is not returned after a full course of conservative therapy, it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention - arthroscopic ligament reconstruction. The operation is performed using special optical equipment connected to the video camera, and very thin instruments. Most often after the operation, the patient can go home the same day.
If the patient needs a complete reconstruction of the ligament, transplants are used. In order for this operation to be successful, the correct degree of graft tension should be selected, and also firmly fixed. It is the tension that determines the functionality. If it is weakly stretched, it will not provide stability to the joint, and if it is too tight, it will limit the amplitude of movements or break with time.
Rehabilitation after ligament rupture
Rehabilitation after a conservative treatment of a rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee lasts approximately 8 weeks. It always includes physiotherapy, which helps:
- reduce pain and swelling;
- restore normal movement in the joint;
- strengthen the muscles.
Almost all patients in this period need to wear a knee. You can return to sports activity after the swelling has passed, and the popliteal muscles and muscles of the thigh regain their former strength.
If the consequences of rupture of the cruciate ligament of the knee were more severe and the patient restored the range of movements in an operative way, rehabilitation would take up to 24 weeks. It should always be conducted in several stages:
- Stage 1 - reducing pain and swelling, walking without crutches, improving the passive range of movements.
- Stage 2 - complete elimination of edema, improving the strength of the muscles of the thigh and balance of the joint.
- Stage 3 - improving muscle endurance without pain, gradual return to normal running.
- Stage 4 - improvement of the full range of movements without pain or any swelling during and after activity.
- Stage 5 - restoration of special skills that correspond to sports specialization of the patient.