Description

Cruciate Ligament Rupture

One of the most important joints in our movement system is
the knee joint. The knee joint, which is formed by the combination of
three bones, allows us to stand, walk, sit and stand on the one hand, and
enable the toughest sportive movements on the other hand. While half of
the body weight gets on the knee joint while standing, this load increases even
more during walking and running and starts to strain the joint. In order
for the knee joint to meet the most difficult conditions and meet the needs,
the bones that make up the joint are connected by four strong ligaments, two of
these ligaments are on the inner and outer sides, one in the front and the
other in the back.

The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments are called as “anterior or
posterior cruciate ligament” because the ligaments in the front and back adhere
to the bones in a cross way. Under normal conditions, the anterior and
posterior cruciate ligaments protect the knee joint even during the most
difficult movements and prevent the bones forming the joint from slipping back
and forth, and the integrity of the joint is disrupted. However, in some
unexpected situations and when there are heavy blows to the joint, especially
during traumas that force the knee joint to rotate around itself, these
ligaments may be damaged and tears. Since the anterior cruciate ligament
is loaded more during the movements, tears are also seen more frequently. At
the first tear, there may be sensitivity and swelling in the knee joint with
severe pain, movement becomes very difficult. In this case, it is
necessary not to continue the movement, but to detect the sequence immediately.

The condition of the cruciate ligaments is clearly understood with the
subsequent examination and MRI examination. Tears in the anterior and
posterior cruciate ligaments can be partial or complete. If the necessary
precautions and treatments are applied in partial tears, the tears heal after a
while, but there is no chance of full tears to heal by themselves. After
the diagnosis of a full tear in active athletes, the decision for surgery is
made. For those who do not do active sports, it is beneficial to use
medical treatment and physical therapy facilities to the full before surgery. With
an appropriate physical therapy and rehabilitation program, the damage in the
ligaments can be healed in patients who do not have complaints that prevent
daily life and walking. In addition to pool therapy, various physical
therapy tools such as ultrasound, laser, and magnetic fields can be used in the
rehabilitation process.

In patients who undergo surgery, a comprehensive rehabilitation program
should be initiated from the next day in order to restore the knee to its
former functions and allow the movements to be performed comfortably. Efforts
are made to strengthen the muscles around the knee and to improve elasticity
with the exercises of which dose and duration are gradually increased. Braces
and bandages that support the knee joint can also be used during physical
therapy and rehabilitation. An average of 6-month rehabilitation program
is needed for those who do traumatic sports such as football and basketball.