| Football is popular in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and | | | | tears of the menisci(semilunar cartilages) and this can |
| Bahrain. Every town in the Middle east has a large | | | | lead to secondary osteoarthritisSymptomsThe person |
| stadium and the game is played in the streets and | | | | falls to the ground and is unable to continue the sport |
| village playgrounds. with the world cup around the | | | | or activity which he was pursuing. He can feel or hear |
| corner, many amateur footballers will try their skills at | | | | a popping sound in the knee joint. A swelling develops |
| the game.The game of football extracts a heavy toll | | | | rapidly. There is a feeling of instability in the knee |
| of ligament and cartilage injuries of the knee joint. | | | | joint. Pain in the knee immediately, which worsens |
| These are the commonest ligament injuries and the | | | | with the onset of swelling. Repeated giving away of |
| anterior cruciate ligament has been considered as the | | | | the knee can occur as the patient runs around |
| most valuable piece of connective tissue in the | | | | curves or while coming downstairsWhat is the future |
| human body as professional football clubs hand over | | | | for a patient with an ACL injury?Complete ACL |
| contracts to footballers worth several millions of | | | | injuries result in instability of the knee joint. |
| Euros and dollars and withdraw them immediately if | | | | Whenever the person runs or comes downstairs |
| the player is injured. The MOH hospitals in Oman, | | | | rapidly the tibia slides off the femur. This can lead to |
| Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia treat a large number of | | | | repeated falls. These can result in injuries to the |
| knee injuries. There have been a larger number of | | | | semilunar cartilages or menisci. Meniscal tears can lead |
| new concepts in the treatment of this injury.ACL | | | | to mechanical symptoms like locking or unexpected |
| Injury(anterior cruciate ligament injury) | | | | falls.A combination of persistent ligamentous laxity |
| Anatomical background-The ACL (anterior cruciate | | | | and meniscal tears can result in the development of |
| ligament) is one of four ligaments stabilising the knee | | | | secondary osteo-arthritis.Treatment- RICE(Rest, ice, |
| joint. Ligaments are cord like tissues, which connect | | | | compression, elevation). An ACL injury is a serious |
| one bone to another. In the knee joint there are four | | | | one which needs medical attention immediately. The |
| ligaments, namely the medial collateral (inner), lateral | | | | surgeon may aspirate the blood inside the joint to |
| collateral (outer), the anterior cruciate and the | | | | provide comfort. He may order a MRI scan to |
| posterior cruciate. The anterior cruciate ligament runs | | | | confirm the diagnosis immediately. An ACL injury can |
| from the back of the thigh-bone to the front of the | | | | be treated conservatively in those individuals who are |
| inner side of the shin or leg bone. It prevents the leg | | | | willing to restrict their sporting activity. For those |
| bone from sliding off in front from the thigh bone. | | | | unwilling to do so, surgical treatment is advisable. |
| The ACL injury can be a partial sprain or a complete | | | | Surgical treatment consists of an examination under |
| tearMechanism of injury-The most common | | | | anesthesia, arthroscopy and ACL reconstruction. The |
| mechanism is a sports injury where there is a cutting | | | | orthopedic surgeon may decide to take a graft from |
| or twisting injury to the knee.Activities for riskInjuries | | | | the patellar tendon or hamstrings. Bony tunnels are |
| in sports like football when the player tries to tackle | | | | drilled through the tibia and femur and the graft is |
| from the back, his knee twists and he falls to the | | | | fixed.The Author is a Knee specialist in Chennai doing |
| ground. Involvements in other sports like basketball, | | | | arthroscopic surgery, Joint replacements, |
| cricket, skiing and hockey can also result in ACL | | | | Arthroscopic ACL Reconstruction,Cartilage restorative |
| injury. A blow to the knee from the front. Patients | | | | surgery. Operations are performed according to |
| with cruciate ligament injuries are prone to develop | | | | latest techniques at Knee & Shoulder centre, Chennai. |