The Foundry Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Blog

WHAT IS THE ACL?
ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. The knee is the largest and most complex joint in your body.  It depends on four primary ligaments as well as multiple muscles, tendons and secondary ligaments to function properly.  There are two ligaments on the sides of the knee: the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and two crossed ligaments in the center of the knee: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).  The ACL connects the front top part of the shin bone to the back bottom part of the thigh bone and keeps the shin bone from sliding forward.

The CDC reports that about 75% of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI.  During 2001-2005, children and youth ages 5-18 years accounted for 2.4 million sports-related emergency department visits annually, of which 6% (135,000) involved a concussion.

WHAT IS AN ANKLE SPRAIN?
A sprain is an injury to the ligaments that support the ankle. Over 25,000 ankle sprains occur in the United States every day. The injury typically occurs when the ankle rolls and the foot is turned inward (inverted).

What is a frozen shoulder?
A “frozen shoulder,” known clinically as adhesive capsulitis, is when the shoulder is painful and cannot move normally because of inflammation.

A previous blog entry discussed osteoarthritis and exercise.  Here is a more complete synopsis of knee osteoarthritis, its causes and treatments.