Everyone has two thick and strong ligaments in knees. They are called anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments based on the locations attached to the tibia. These two ligaments decide the stability of the knee.

Usually cruciate ligaments only rupture under fierce impact; however, with more and more sport injuries and car accidents, patients with cruciate ligament ruptures are increasing.

Common Symptoms of Cruciate Ligament Rupture

1. Patients with anterior ligament rupture usually do not feel the pain or notice something wrong with their knee until going up and down the steps, feeling lack of strength while walking, not being able slow down while running, or making a sharp turn.
2. Patients with posterior cruciate ligament rupture will feel the pain.

Causes of Cruciate Ligament Rupture

1. The most common cause for anterior cruciate ligament rupture is playing basketball. Other sports, such as skiing, tennis or soccer are also the major causes for anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
2. Posterior cruciate ligament rupture often occurs in car accident due to fierce impact in the knee.

Methods for Checking Cruciate Ligament Rupture

1. The mobility of the thigh muscles in the leg with cruciate ligament rupture often reduces due to the pain and instability in knee and leads to muscular atrophy. Thus, we easily see the thigh with cruciate ligament rupture is smaller than the healthy one.
2. When patient lies flat with knee bent, the doctor can diagnose that the knee is loose and instable inside.
3. MRI can help with the diagnosis.
4. Arthroscopy is the most accurate method for diagnosis.

Treatments

Severity, age of the patient, and daily activity are the factors to consider when deciding on treatments as to surgical treatment to fix the ligament or receiving long-term rehabilitation.

Rehab and Care after Surgical Treatment

• Patient will wear a functional knee support that can bend the knee from 0-90 degrees after the surgery.
• Patient does not move the knee the first two days after the surgery due to the pain in the wound. We provide joint articulator for your rehab.
• When the pain in the wound wears off, patient can wear knee support to do passive exercises by sitting at the edge of bed or chair and supporting the injured knee with the healthy leg. Patient can also do initiative exercises with the injured leg.
• Patient can walk with crutches the third day after the surgery. Do not put weight on the injured leg. The injured leg may bear partial weight six weeks after the surgery.
• Patient may use exercise bike for knee exercise five weeks after the surgery.
• Patient may tie sand bags or other heavy objects on calf to do straight leg lift or knee bending exercises (30-90 degrees) to enhance muscle strength in thigh six weeks after the surgery.
• Patient may start jogging 5 months after the surgery.
• Patient may start general sport 6 months after the surgery.
• Patient may start sports, such as soccer or skiing 9-12 months after the surgery.