Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries Robert Eppley, M.D., with the California Sports and

Orthopaedics Institute, discusses ACL injuries.

When people hear the term “ACL injury,” they may think of professional athletes who have sustained damage to their knees through violent contact.

However, ACL injuries can occur through a variety of activities, including participation in recreational sports such as skiing and soccer.

• The ACL is one of the knee’s primary stabilizing ligaments, responsible for preventing the tibia, or lower leg bone, from moving too far forward.

The ACL is typically injured when the leg comes to a sudden stop, twists, or changes direction. A person who injures her ACL will sometimes hear a popping sound in her knee when the injury occurs.

• The knee will feel also painful, swell, and be difficult to bend.

Diagnosis of ACL tears include a physical exam as well as imaging methods to determine the extent of the injury. For strains and partial tears, physicians typically recommend rest and physical therapy.

• However, for active individuals or athletes who have completely torn their ACLs, surgery is usually recommended because the ligament will not heal on its own.

Surgery typically involves creating a new ACL from other tissue. Recovery from surgery generally involves an extensive rehabilitation program and can take four to six months or longer.

• Dr. Robert Eppley has extensive experience in ACL surgeries and has been the primary orthopaedic surgeon for the University of California, Berkeley, athletic department for 20 years.

From 2000 to 2011, Dr. Eppley was named among the “East Bay Best Doctors,” according to Oakland Magazine.