How can you tell if you tore your ACL?

If you had a traumatic event during sports, and afterwards your knee was really swollen, painful, stiff, and unstable, you might have had an ACL tear. Most people have at least heard of the ACL. If you watch sports, you know that when an athlete tears their ACL, they will probably miss the rest of the season. Contrast this with how it used to be, if an athlete tore their ACL it could be the end of their career. Even if you aren’t a pro athlete, you can still tear your ACL. In fact it is a somewhat common injury among high school athletes, especially in girls soccer and basketball. All it takes is a single misstep and twist of your knee in the wrong direction. It can happen while hiking, playing a friendly game of pickleball or even playing hacky sack (I’ve seen this).

[harrydavis]

Greetings to you sir. Please i was engaged in an activity that got my knee hurting. At the early stage within few days/weeks I stopped experience knee instability, but mine was more involved in inward movement I mean when at the extreme of inward movement of my knee when walking or moving that’s when I feel discomfort and pain. I just pray my acl is order. I’ll be glad to get a response from you.

[nazrobinson]

I lost no range of motion of my knee I can straighten it out flex it it didn’t pop when it happened and it hurts outside of my knee and it hurts going down the stairs what is this?

[jlbc]

If your knee is stable but still painful, how do you heal the injury without surgery?

[josepharteen]

Hi Dr. Paull, I appreciate the truthful and honest content you put out. while I was playing soccer I fell down with a minimum contact as I was running, I felt pain in the outer area of my knee, but I didn't hear a pop and got up and continued playing the whole game. I played about 65 minutes after the fall with no problem. Then I went home and felt my knee was locked and couldn't straighten it. after about two weeks I still couldn't straighten my knee, so I went to the doctor and she did a physical exam and told me I don't have an acl tear and she suspect a meniscus tear. After doing the MRI (with my leg still not straight) the doctor told me the ACL was torn. I am a little confused. What is your opinion about the situation? Could the MRI be wrong?

[nassimessayli]

I’m 33 years old and never had a knee injury … however I just did . My leg went right my knee went left. It hurts but it doesn’t hurt that bad. Hyper extension vs knee sprain vs ligament tear. This just happened so Any signs or just wait and see how swollen it is tomorrow???

Thank you

[michaellemore]

Also if theres blood in my knee after an injury, is that indicating an ACL or other ligaments injury?

[oldmanbmx]

I'm a bmx'r and came off from height on my leg twisting at the same time I'm in bed now day 5 swelling seems to have come down slightly for me the big pain is trying to bend my leg hurts when bringing my calf upto my glutes my legs are quite big and muscular but I'm 38 so if there's anyway i can go down the no surgery route ill go for that but will i just be in pain for life?

[michaellemore]

I twisted my knee about 3 weeks ago. On the same night it is swollen and very painful, And the day after i went to ortho then he drained the blood from my knee and i felt a relief. The doc told to have an mri but i havent check it yet due to financial problem.

Last night, after 3 weeks, I feel good with minimal pain on my knee only when i did a deep squat. And then i played basketball, and it’s really not bothering me, i play well but still supporting my injured knee. Suddenly when i get a rebound(didnt jump high or use force when i jump) my knee buckles it feels like it twisted and it was really painful.

And now my knee feels stiff and a bit swollen, and the quad(close to knee) is really stiff, the inner knee and back of my knee feels painful when i did a half squat. When I bend my knee while standing, my knee is kinda twisting around. Is this an ACL or an MCL? I will have it check on mri nextweek. I was just hoping that it was just a strain and not an acl tear.

[lawchinedu]

What grade of ACL tear required surgery