ACL injury - how does it happen?

For those of you who have had a knee injury of any kind (be specific) what exactly happened during your injury?

For instance, I'm looking for something like this:

I was doing a (backside 3) when I landed (in the flats with too much weight on my front leg) and I came out the front. My (left) knee moved too far (inward) and I tore my (MCL). I (had/did not have) surgery and was back on the water in (# months).

You substitute your situation for the areas in parenthesis.

I'm interested to know which direction and how the knee moves, and then what injury results from that awkward movement.

Thanks in advance.

(Message edited by tparider on September 16, 2006)

they're all gonne be different but, here goes:

I was doing a grabbed ts 3, 2nd or 3rd trick attempted first set in the morning, didn't stretch, popped grabbed, came down, landed right on the up-side of the trough, reach for the water a little bit with my front leg (I'm regular), knee buckled inward a bit, and I felt my femur slide forward and to the left, A LOT. Didn't hear a pop, and it didn't really hurt that bad. Got back in the boat, could walk on it and put weight on it, but it swelled up and got real stiff. I had surgery for a completely ruptured ACL, and he cleaned up the meniscus, about 6 months later, after trying to rehab it to avoid surgery, I was back on the water hittin' the wake at 6 months, with a CTi2.

7 months post-op now.

Thane - was this your left knee? Is it safe to say that a hyperextension of the knee is a direct link to ACL tear or rupture?

What scan is used to determine the extent of a knee injury? CT scan? MRI?

Hyperextention could cause it, but a hyperflexion could almost be more likely to cause it. The ACL primarily controls the fore/aft motion of the Tibia. Usually, an ACL injury doesn't involve a twisting motion (although it certainly could). The knee usually, for whatever reason, ends up in a vulnerable position where the joint is momentarily not being protected/supported by the surrounding muscles... either too straight or too bent. You don't usually hear of an ACL popping when the joint is moderately bent and the leg muscles are flexed.

Diagnosis is usually done by manual testing. Basically "pulling" on the tibia and looking for motion. This is called the "Lachman test," and is remarkably accurate when administered by an experienced surgeon... particularly with a complete rupture. An MRI would also show the extent of damage, but isn't usually necessary.

Hey Thane hows the CTi2 treatin you? Im 5 wks post ACL surgery and will be needing a brace when I start riding again in Feb or March. Im not sure what brand brace to push for.

ACL tears can be caused by
- an anterolateral motion - (aka having your foot planted with your knee rotating/twisting)
- Hyperextension can cause ACL tear, not necessarily a direct link.
-getting hit on the lateral aspect of your knee with your foot planted (this will more than likely cause the unhappy Triad - ACL, MCL and medial meniscus tear)

Mine happened while running forward to to grab a diving line drive in a lunging position.... left knee. Felt femur slide forward and then medial. But mine was also caused by wear and tear from sliding

Lachman/Anterior Draw/ Pivot shifts are not always conclusive due to several factors : acute injury, guarding and/or bilateral joint laxity.
MRI is scan of choice for soft tissue injuries.

(Message edited by phantom5815 on September 16, 2006)

ACL 1
I was doing a (Tantrum) when I landed (in the flats with too much weight on my front leg) and I came out the front. My (Right) knee moved too far (inward) and I tore my (ACL/MCL). I (had) surgery and was back on the water in (5 months).

ACL 2
I was doing a (Tantrum) when I landed (in the flats with too much weight on my front leg) and I came out the front. My (Right) knee moved too far (inward) and I tore my (ACL). I (had) surgery and was back on the water in (3 months).

As phantom said "The Terrible Triad" , happened to me from a backroll into the flats and my right knee pushed outward towards the lateral and dislocated. MRI scan. Had patellar ligament used for ACL reconstruction on sep. 5.

You guys who have all these Knee tears....do you lift weights at all? I would think a knee surrounded by strong muscles would reduce the risk of injury.

Steve - cti is cool. I don't even notice it.

David - 2 different docs did Lachman's test and said it didn't feel torn. MRI showed otherwise. I originally hurt my knee in oct. '02, doc then sent me on my way, no MRI, told me it was sprained.

Both of the docs I saw in sept. of '05 thought I tore it completely or more than 90% in Oct. of '02. My therapist said the same thing.

Mike - I didn't lift weights at the time. I do now. Althought I believe that you can have really strong quads, hams, and calves, but if your neuro skeletal muscle is lacking, then you could still easily blow a knee.

My ACL tears have had absolutely nothing to do with lack of muscle or conditioning. My first ACL went when I over extended before the landing and landed with a locked out front knee, when your knee is locked out there is no muscle being flexed except for your quad. On my second one, I had on a Donjoy and the same thing happened, just bigger, 15 feet up, 15 feet into the flats, nothing could have saved my ACL from that impact, not even my Donjoy, which snapped like a toothpick, along with my ACL.

There have been many Professional athletes who have had their ACLs torn. Part of their job is to be in the weight room and working on coordination.
You could be the strongest, most coordinated person in the world - that's not going to an injury from happening.

I was qualifying for a DH race.

Downhill ski pre-released, I was on one ski (uphill right leg) at 55+ mph, drifted off-course, dropped free boot (left) into the soft spring snow.

Left boot stuck hard, I rotated around the boot, and then spun on down the hill.

Tore ACL/PCL/LCL/MCL and tore up my medial meniscus while I was at it.

CTi2 is a great brace.