An Essay on Ruptured Anterior (Cranial) Cruciate Ligaments in dogs
Intro:
The knee is a complex joint. It consists of the femur bone above, the tibia bone below, the kneecap (patella) in front, and the bean-like fabellae in the back. Segments of cartilage called the “medial and lateral menisci” fit between the femur and tibia like pillows. A variety of ligaments hold everything together. This allows the knee to bend the way it should and keep it from bending the way it should not.
There are two cruciate ligaments that cross inside the knee joint. They are the anterior “cruciate” (or, in animals, the cranial cruciate), and the posterior “cruciate” (in animals called the caudal cruciate). They are named for the side of the knee (front or back) where the lower attachment is located The “anterior cruciate ligament” prevents the tibia from sliding forward out from under the femur.
Finding the Rupture:
The “ruptured cruciate ligament” is the most common “knee type injury” of dogs. Chances are, that any dog with a sudden rear leg “lameness” has a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. One would notice a rear leg so sore that the dog can hardly put any weight on it. If left unchecked, it will appear to improve over a week or so but the knee will be swollen and arthritis will quickly set in. Dogs are often seen by a veterinarian either in the “acute stage” right after the injury, or in the “chronic stage” several weeks later.
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The way a veterinarian will diagnosis a ruptured cruciate ligament is to try and gently force an abnormal knee motion called a “drawer sign”. It is no...
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When the crucial ligament ruptures, the medial (on the inner side of the knee) meniscus usually tears and must either be removed or repaired. This is generally done at the time of cruciate ligament surgery.
Dogs with meniscal damage may have an audible clicking sound when they walk or when the knee is examined. Poor blood supply to the menisci makes quality healing less likely. Removal of the damaged portion of the meniscus is the usual surgical choice. This surgery will then leave some meniscus behind to distribute the weight on the knee but removes the painful section.
Current areas of research include ways to improve blood supply to the healing meniscus so that repair can be more practical. If meniscal damage has happened in a cruciate rupture, arthritis is likely and surgery should be performed as a soothing course of action.
The cruciate ligaments are so named because of their cross-configuration within the joint. The anterior cruciate ligament attaches to the tibia on its anterior-superior surface, crossing through the joint from the medial side to its lateral attachment on the femur. The posterior cruciate ligament attaches on the posterior-superior aspect of the tibia, crossing diagonally and medially to its lateral attachment on the femur. The anterior and posterior cruciates protect against hyperextension and hyperflexion, respectively.
In order for athletes to save their active lifestyles they need understand the ACL. The ACL is the most important ligament in the knee because it provides stability to the knee. Athletes have to be aware of the importance of the ACL and know its functions in order to preserve the ligament. The ACL otherwise know as the anterior cruciate ligament is the ligament in the knee that connects the upper leg bone which is the femur to the lower leg bone which is the tibia. The anterior cruciate ligament crosses with the posterior cruciate ligament inside the center of the knee joint to stabilize to the knee in movement.
The most common knee injury in sports is damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) through tears or sprains. “They occur in high demand sports that involve planting and cutting, jumping with a poor landing, and stopping immediately or changing directions” (University of Colorado Hospital). The ACL is a ligament that runs diagonally in the middle of the knee and found at the front of the patellar bone. Its function involves controlling the back and forth motion of the knee, preventing the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, and providing rational stability to the knee. Interestingly, women are more prone to ACL injuries than men. The occurrence is four to six times greater in female athletes.
Meniscal tears are a common sports injury, and can vary widely in severity and pain. Meniscal tears are very common among athletes playing contact sports, such as Football, Rugby, and Soccer or any sport that involves twisting of the knee. Meniscal tears are more common among men than woman. Meniscal injuries can occur at any age, but factors differ with age. In older people tears are degenerative and usually occur doing daily activities. In younger people the majority of meniscal tears occur primarily by cutting or twisting movements, hyperflexion, or
To understand the importance of the ACL, the knee as a whole must be examined. The knee is formed by the femur, the tibia, and the patella. Several muscles and ligaments control the motion of the knee and protect it from damage at the same time. Ligaments are dense structures of connective tissue that fasten bone to bone and stabilize the knee. Two ligaments on either side of the knee, called the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, stabilize the knee from side-to-side. The ACL along with the posterior cruciate ligament are of a pair of ligaments in the center of the knee joint that form a cross. T...
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) attaches the femur, which is the thighbone, and the tibia, which is the shin, together (northstar). A torn ACL is one of the most excruciating experiences in an athlete’s life. It is the first thing that comes to mind when they hurt their knee on the field; for many it is their greatest fear. A torn ACL can sometimes mean the end of an athlete’s career. It can mean losing the chance to get that scholarship for young athletes, and it can also mean the end of those million dollar paychecks for those who have gone professional. A torn ACL can result in numerous surgeries, months of vigorous exercise and rehabilitation, and a sufficient amount of pain. It requires complete patience, for pushing too hard can result in further, more painful injury. Even after all that, an athlete is not guaranteed he or she will ever be able to play sports again.
Ligaments are tough, non-stretchable fibers that hold bones together. Damage to cruciate ligaments, which crisscross the knee to give it stability, is one of the most common sports injuries. The “tear” occurs from changing direction rapidly, slowing down from running, or landing from a jump improperly. The A.C.L tear is one injury that worries athletes in all sports at all levels because of its devastating effects. People ages 15-25 that participate in basketball and other sports that require pivoting are especially at risk.
Injuries to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) are one of the most frequent and devastating knee injuries that occur during sporting activities, accounting for one fifth of all sport related knee injuries ¹ ². Injury estimates have been reported in current literature to be between 1.5% - 1.7% per year within a healthy athletic population ³ ⁴. However, incidence rates for ACL injury prove difficult to access as not all individuals with ACL injuries seek medical attention ⁵. Current trends show a direct correlation between the rising incidence of ACL injury and increased sporting participation ⁶. In spite of increasing incidence rates, ACL injuries remain fairly uncommonly in relation to the amount of individuals participating in sporting activities ⁷ ⁸. Nevertheless, they still prove to be a frequent source of disability for those individuals affected ⁷ ⁸. Individuals affected with ACL injury may suffer from a number of adverse effects including dynamic knee instability, altered movement patterns, reduced functional performance and debilitating pain ⁷⁻¹⁰.
Everyday an athlete goes to practice or game, putting on a possibility of getting injured. A common one of those injuries is the tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, better known as the ACL. When sports that require quick pivoting and harsh landings became more popular such as soccer and basketball, ACL injuries quickly multiplied. Since kids, teens, and even adults usually focus on one sport it often occurs that they can overuse and exert their body causing injury to the ACL (Young Athletes 10).
In order to understand how the menisci can be injured, you must understand the basic anatomy of the menisci and why they are important. The menisci are two oval (semilunar) fibrocartilages that deepen the articular facets of the tibia and cushion any stresses placed on the knee joint. They enhance the total stability of the knee, assist in the control of normal knee motion, and provide shock absorption against compression forces between the tibia and the femur (Booher, 2000). Articular cartilage covers the ends of the bones that make up the joint. The articular cartilage surface is a tough, very slick material that allows the surfaces to slide against one another without damage to either surface. This ability of the meniscus to spread out the force on the joint surfaces as we walk is important because it protects the articular cartilage from excessive forces occurring in any one area on the joint surface, leading to degeneration over time (Sutton, 1999).
In order to know how bad a dislocated knee is, the anatomy of the knee should be known. The top bone in the joint is called the femur and the bone that is connected to is the tibia, which is distal it (Prentice, 20142013). Next to the tibia laterally is the fibula (Prentice, 20142013). These bones form the knee joint. I...
When an athlete catches the sound of their knee crack and pop, they better prepare themselves for a long journey. The Center for Injury and Policy (CIRP), from Science Daily, reports that, “Knees are the most accident prone part of the body in high school athletes.” Knee injuries are very common; in fact, they are responsible for 45% of the injuries that occur in high school athletics across America. Knee injuries are well known to not just those in the medical field, but also to athletes. Injuries to the knee are caused by many factors, and what happens after the injury has taken place is what’s most concerning (Science Daily).
“Doc, I fell and twisted my knee. I heard a pop. It hurt briefly. When I stood up, the knee felt as if it was not underneath me, and the knee gave way. It swelled up by the next day and ever since feels as though it would pop out when I twist or even cross the street quickly.” In almost all cases the above complaints occur due to an injury to the ACL (Anterior Crucial Ligament) of the knee. The ACL is a very important ligament in the knee that controls the pivoting motion of the knee. This joint guides the femur and tibia through a regular range of motion. It is the most common and serious of injury sustained to the knee (Duffy, f9). How this injury happens, who is most susceptible, and how it is treated are a few questions athletes are becoming heavily concerned with.
Sometimes the UCL will weaken and stretch (technically a sprain), making it incompetent. Other times a catastrophic stress will cause the structure to "pop" or blow out. The injury isn't tremendously painful, and it can be incredibly diffic...
ACL injury is quite prevalent in the United States. About every 1 in 3,000 people suffer from an ACL injury in their lifetime, and approximately 95,000 new incidences of ACL injury occur each year. The largest amount of these injuries occurs during sports which involve twisting, cutting, jumping and deceleration. The mechanisms that can cause an ACL injury are excessive valgus (outside of knee) stress, forced hyperextension, or forced external rotation of the femur on the a fixed tibia (Evans, 2001). Many associate the tearing of the ACL with a large impact or collision, however 80% of all ACL injuries are non-contact injuries. This statistic shows that ACL injuries are mostly caused by the individual themselves as opposed to an opponent or other person. The exact mechanism of noncontact ACL tears consists of poor knee positioning (e.g. landing with an extended knee) and a strong, unopposed quad contraction (Murray, 2013).