An ACL injury causes pain and a lot of swelling in the knee. You may have felt or heard a “popping” noise in the knee. Walking with an ACL tear may be painful. It is also usually hard to bend and straighten the knee completely. Even once swelling goes down, you may feel like the knee is unstable.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries affect men and women across a wide age range and at all levels of athletics. The ACL is responsible for stabilizing knee rotation that occurs during pivoting movements.
An athlete often plants their foot on the ground to change directions and the ACL cannot withstand the force placed on it, so it tears, causing the knee to buckle or give out. The ACL also can be torn if the knee becomes hyperextended after a forceful jump.

*This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of treatment services; Dr. Ference may recommend other options during your in-office consultation where you can discuss your goals for recovery and receive a thorough examination. If you would like to discuss your condition, please make an appointment.
ACL Repair (Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair)
The ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is a band of tissue within the knee. It gets damaged when it stretches or tears. If you strain or slightly tear your ACL, it may heal over time with your doctor’s help and physical therapy. But if it’s completely torn, you may need to have it repaired. Your MRI, xrays, past studies, and examination will be used to help Dr. Ference diagnose and treat an ACL tear.
ACL Reconstruction
In the case of ACL tears, the gold standard for treatment is ACL reconstruction. Reconstruction means that the old ACL is removed, and a new ligament is created using non-ACL tissue. For most young athletes, this means using tissue from somewhere else in their body to create a new anterior cruciate ligament.