Category Archives: ACL Injuries

The ACL is a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the knee joint. It helps stabilize the joint when planting the foot and changing directions (pivoting). This is one of the few ligaments in the body that don’t heal when they rupture.

ACL Injuries, All Blogs, Football, Knee

Carson Wentz ACL Recovery

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Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz  remains on the injured list 9 months after surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and repair his lateral collateral ligament (LCL). Wentz tore both ligaments jumping into the end zone with opposing players hitting both sides of the leg.  

The ACL is a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia at the center of the knee joint.  It helps stabilize the joint when planting the foot and changing directions (pivoting). ACL tear is one of the most common injury in sports  that feature a lot of pivoting. The LCL stabilizes the outside of the knee. It helps stabilize the side to side motion of the knee. This ligament is different because it is one of the few in the body that do not heal on its own.   People that play pivot sports may choose to have it reconstructed for more effective pivoting when they return.

ACL reconstructions heal in 1 year.  Most of the healing is completed by about 6 months.  If motion, strength, and agility are regained at 9 months, some people will return at that time. It was reported that Wentz plans to return for the start of the season, 9 months after the injury. .

Wentz has started to participate in drills and exercises in the team’s training camp.  He remains sidelined in team scrimmages as the team wants him in “controlled environments” limiting the possibility of reinjury. It is reported that he may sit him out for the duration of the preseason.

ACL Injuries, All Blogs, Knee

Manuel Lanzini’s ACL Tear

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Manuel Lanzini from Argentina’s national team tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during practice on June 8, 2018.

The ACL runs through the center of the knee joint. It stabilizes the knee when a player plants the foot and turns.  That maneuver is often referred to “pivoting.” One forceful pivot can tear the ligament.  This is one of the few ligaments in the body that don’t heal when they rupture.

There is often a pop that is heard or felt.  The knee usually fills with blood and the effusion can be detected on examination.  Specific examination techniques can look for the greater laxity that tends to occur after ACL rupture.  Because pain and guarding may mask that exam, and an x-ray only shows fractures, an MRI is typically used to confirm ACL tear. The MRI might also show injury to other ligament, the meniscus, or bone.  That information would mostly affect prognosis.

ACL tears are nearly always complete.  The body cannot heal an ACL tear.  The first step is to regain motion in the knee.  That usually takes a few weeks of stretching.  People with ACL tears are offered surgery to reconstruct the ACL with a tendon or ligament taken from another part of the body or from a tissue bank is offered.  High-level athletes in sports with a lot of pivoting usually choose surgery if they want to their sport. People that do very little pivoting or who are willing to limit those activities often choose to leave the ACL unrepaired.

Lanzini will have surgery to reconstruct the ACL.  Return to play takes about a year, because the graft needs to be solidly healed and the muscles strong in order to limit the risk of reinjuring.

This blog was written by Paul Bonilla and David Ring.