ACL tears of 2011-2012!

Above is a comparison photo of a normal ACL MRI to a torn ACL MRI.
The picture on the right is my MRI.

 
 You could tear your ACL when your foot is firmly planted on the ground and a sudden force hits your knee while your leg is straight or slightly bent. This can happen when you are changing direction rapidly, slowing down when running, or landing from a jump. An estimated 150, 000 Americans suffer from ACL injuries ever year, and a growing number of them are female athletes. Girls are four to eight times more likely than boys to injure the ACL because their hips widen during puberty, which puts strain on the knee, plus the joint itself loosens due to hormonal changes.





   There have been a lot of professional athletes, and athletes at Spring Valley, that have torn their ACL.  Mackenzie Morris, Spring Valley basketball player, tore her ACL and MCL during a basketball game this season while landing after a lay up. Amanda Artrip, Spring Valley basketball player, tore her ACL and had minor meniscus damage after her foot stayed planted to the ground while she turned her body. Hunter Waugh, Spring Valley baseball player, tore his ACL while running to first base during a sectional baseball game against Midland. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls; Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals; Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees; and Tiger Woods are just a some of the athletes that have torn their ACLs. That’s just a hand full of the athletes this year that have torn their ACLs, and it’ll just keep growing.

   You can try to prevent this from occurring to you by building up the muscle in your thighs and butt by doing multiple exercises and workouts at your house. In my case, I also have to practice landing straight down equally on the balls of both of my feet after I jump. An ACL injury can happen to anyone, and it doesn’t just have to happen to athletes either. This can occur by just stepping off a stair step, ladder, step stool, and etc wrong. My advice to you is just pay attention to where you’re stepping and how you’re stepping in the future.