Although you may already know what an ACL injury entails, there’s a very good chance that ACL injury statistics are going to surprise you. A number of fascinating realizations are likely to come out of researching ACL injury stats.
ACL Injury Stats
On the subject of ACL injury statistics, there is a great deal of information to study and absorb. A basic definition can certainly get you started, but ACL injury facts and figures can enhance that basic knowledge to a considerable degree.
1. ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries are knee injuries. Your ACL is one of the 4 significant ligaments in the knee joint. It is designed to maintain stability in your knee joints and promote proper coordination as you move.
2. In terms of mobility and stability, the ACL is extremely important. Damaging it can very easily lead to diminished capacity in both of those regards.
3. In a given year, there can be anywhere from 150, 000 to 200, 000 ACL injuries reported.
4. In a given year, ACL injuries can account for as much as half-a-million dollars in medical costs.
5. Most ACL injuries do indeed occur during physical activity, particularly while one is playing sports. More specifically, agility sports account for a substantial number of ACL injuries.
6. Typical ACL injuries revolve around spraining or tearing the anterior cruciate ligament. Generally speaking, a tear is far worse than a sprain.
7. The top sports in which an ACL injury is a possibility are basketball, soccer, skiing, and football. What do all of those sports have in common? All of them make demands on the knees.
8. Although more ACL injuries occur in sports played by men, women are actually considered to be at a higher risk for ACL injuries.
With these basic facts on ACL injury statistics, you’re well on your way to appreciating what a significant role these injuries are capable of playing. This is not only true for the individuals who have been injured. ACL injuries are also significant to the medical community.
The above information should serve to present a rounded overview of ACL injury facts and figures. However, there is still a good deal of information that can be ascertained:
1. A typical ACL injury can occur while an individual is decelerating. It is very often a non-contact occurrence, which happens as a person has just finished twisting, jumping, or cutting. It is not uncommon to hear a “popping” noise when the injury has occurred.
2. In the aftermath of most ACL injuries, movement and stability suddenly become extremely difficult, impossible for some. It is likely that the knee will start swelling within a few hours of the injury.
3. ACL injuries are most prevalent amongst those between the ages of fifteen and forty-five. One in roughly seventeen hundred people will experience an ACL injury to some degree in their lifetime.
4. It is certainly possible for ACL injuries to occur through direct contact. A substantial blow to the lateral portion and other ligaments can easily lead to an ACL injury. This is perhaps why ACL injuries are so common in football.
5. One of the most popular methods of determining whether or not an ACL injury has occurred is through the administration of the Lachman Test. Other tests used to determine whether or not an ACL injury has occurred includes the Pivot Shift Test, the T-2000 Arthrometer Test, and McMurray’s Exam.
6. Radiographic imaging and MRIs are both used to confirm that an ACL injury has indeed occurred.
7. There are both operative and non-operative options for ACL injuries. Naturally, the decision to go with operative or non-operative rests entirely on the severity of the injury, as well as other factors.
About ACL
ACL is a type of injury that shows up in the media with regular frequency. It is not impossible by any means for someone in professional sports to damage their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in some form or fashion. Although it is certainly worth mentioning that certain sports lend themselves more easily to the potential for an ACL injury than others.
ACL injuries remain prevalent in sports. However, this type of injury certainly has the potential to occur in other aspects of life. A wide variety of circumstances are capable of causing one of these injuries. People from all walks of life can damage their ACL. It is an injury that is by no means limited to those who play sports, even though physical activity naturally lends itself to an ACL injury.
Understanding a basic definition of ACL is fine. However, learning some of the facts and statistics on ACL injuries can be highly beneficial. It can serve to give you a strong understanding of how this injury is truly defined and approached by the medical community and others.