Michael Owen ACL Injury
Michael Owen, does that ring the bell? England playing the 2006 World Cup against Sweden has many such stories like Michael Owen ACL injury. A good football player could last only for some initial minutes in the fascinating game when his ACL ripped and he had to leave the ground. Dr Richard Steadman, a well known surgeon, had to perform the reconstruction surgery to treat Michael Owen ACL injury. The esteemed player is currently playing with the Manchester United.
ACL injury prevention
You definitely don’t want to wrap your brilliant career around some gruesome injuries. In order to prevent these injuries some prevention programs have been designed, such as:
The ACL Injury Prevention Program is a very specific 15-minute training session which replaces the usual warm-up practices. It was thought and designed by a team of physical therapists, physicians, athletic trainers and coaches. The main goal of the program is to teach the athletes preventive strategies by practicing some balancing, agility, and performance drills to avoid injury by:
- Evade defenseless positions
- Increase flexibility
- Improve strength
- Practice plyometric exercises during training
- Increase proprioception of the body
Optimally the prevention program must be performed at least 2-3 times per week during a season.
Another prevention known as the Henning program has identified three moves which cause the ACL injuries at a higher rate and recommend some preventive measures such as:
- Practice an accelerated rounded turn instead of planting-and-cutting
- Employ a bent-knee landing rather than a straight-knee-landing
- Three-step stop with knees bent is better than one-step stop with knees straight
It will be easier to prevent the ACL injuries if you know the mechanism of this type of damage. Most of the ACL injuries are non-contact type which occur due to abrupt twisting motion just like it happens when the foot is planted in one direction and the knee is turned in the another direction or when landing from a high jump.
Non contact activities
ACL injuries are very common among the athletes. Some non-contact activities with the mechanism of injury usually involve:
- Planting and cutting when a football or baseball player during a fast cut changes the direction.
- Straight-knee landing just like a basketball player coming down after a jump shot or a gymnast while landing on a dismount.
- One-step-stop landing while the knee hyper-extended like a baseball player sliding into the base with the knee hyper-extended and feels an additional force causing hyperextension and tearing the ACL.
- Pivoting and sudden deceleration when a football or soccer player quickly slows down followed by a quick turn in the direction.
Symptoms of an ACL Tear
- Possibility of an audible explosion or crack at the time of injury
- An initial instability may be covered later by an extensive swelling
- It is extremely painful, especially at the time of the injury.
- Swollen knee, typically immediate and wide, but can be nominal and delayed
- Restricted or uncomfortable knee movement, mainly an inability to straighten the leg
The participation in ACL injury prevention program reduces the risks of getting your knee damaged while playing some high-profile sports.