How Do I Know If My Ankle Is Sprained or Broken?
You’re hobbling around on a painful ankle, and you’re trying to get to the bottom of the damage. Did you sprain your ankle or break it? And is there a way to tell the difference? Let’s discuss.
Can an ACL Tear Heal on Its Own?
It should come as no surprise that knee injuries are common given all that these large joints do in terms of providing you with support and mobility. Drilling down further, almost half of all knee injuries involve anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which come with their own set of considerations when it comes to healing.
If you’re looking for information about ACL tears, you’ve come to the right place. William Schell, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee injuries. While Dr. Schell excels in the surgical arena, we also understand the value in allowing the body time to heal on its own. But does this approach work with ACL tears? Let’s take a look.
A brief dive into ACL anatomy
We’re sure you got a crash course in knee anatomy after tearing your ACL, so we’ll keep our description brief. Each of your knees features four ligaments that stabilize your knee joints, including the:
- Posterior cruciate ligament
- Anterior cruciate ligament
- Medial collateral ligament
- Lateral collateral ligament
While you can damage any of these ligaments, ACL injuries are, far and away, the most common because this connective tissue is responsible for the rotational stability in your knee.
The degree of the ACL damage matters … a lot
As with any damage to soft tissues in your body, there are different degrees of an ACL injury:
- Grade 1 — You stretched your ACL, but the tissue is still keeping your knee stable
- Grade 2 — A partial tear in which your ACL is loose and not providing support
- Grade 3 — Your ACL has torn completely or separated from the bone completely
When you have an ACL injury, our first task is to determine the extent of the damage, which will dictate your treatment options moving forward.
Since we’re discussing whether an ACL can heal on its own after an injury, we can say that the answer depends on three main points:
- The extent of the tear
- Your activity level
- The amount of instability in your knee as a result of the tear
So, if you have a grade 1 ACL injury and your knee feels fairly stable, you can modify your activity levels for a few months and rely on physical therapy to help the tissue heal on its own.
Conversely, if you have a complete ACL tear, your knee is unstable, and your active life is important to you, understand that letting the ligament heal on its own is risky. In many cases of complete ACL tears, the ligament doesn’t stitch back together on its own because it doesn’t enjoy a good supply of blood.
While you can continue to function with a torn ACL, your knee won’t likely regain its former stability, which can curb your active life quite a lot. Not to mention, a chronically unstable knee can lead to further damage, such as meniscus tears, down the road.
That said, if you have extensive damage in your ACL and you act quickly to brace your knee, modify your activities, and engage fully in physical therapy, it’s not unheard of that the tissues can heal without surgery.
Despite the fact that Dr. Schell’s focus is surgical, we often take a wait-and-see approach before jumping into surgery. So, we recommend that you work with us on nonsurgical solutions for your ACL tear first. But should they prove ineffective, we can explore surgical repair.
To figure out which approach is best for your ACL tear, please contact our New York City office, which is located on Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side.
You Might Also Enjoy...
3 Possible Reasons Your Knee Is Stiff and Painful
One (or both) of your knees has become stiff and painful, and you’re having trouble moving around. Here, we look at some possible culprits behind your knee issue and how we can get you moving again.
Does My Rotator Cuff Injury Require Surgery?
You have a tear in your rotator cuff and you’re looking forward to using your arm normally again, but is this only possible with surgery? The short answer is, “It depends.” The longer answer is found in this post.
How We Diagnose a Tendon Injury
When you’re dealing with orthopedic issues, the most important step is getting the right diagnosis so you can get on the road to relief without delay. Here’s how we accomplish just that with tendon injuries.
Why You Shouldn't Ignore That Popping Sound in Your Shoulder
It's easy to ignore strange sounds or sensations in your shoulder, especially if you don't have pain or discomfort. However, these symptoms often point to a problem that can worsen without treatment. Learn more about what those sounds could mean.
The Worst Activities to Do for Your Knees
We use our knees all day, so it’s no surprise that knee pain takes a big toll on our lives. Avoiding some activities may help reduce knee pain or even prevent it. In this post, learn which activities you should avoid for your knees.