Australia has the highest rates of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in the world. That’s right: nowhere on earth are you more likely to tear that all-important ligament than right here in our neck of the woods. Injury rates had risen by 70% in 2021 when last reported – with most of those being people under the age of 25.

Last year a large review was undertaken to establish just who is injuring themselves the most. The study confirmed that those aged 15-29 years of age were the most likely to rupture their ACL but the group with the highest incidence was young girls aged 5-14.
What Is The ACL?
The ACL is a thick, string ligament that sits in the centre of the knee and provides stability to the knee. The main role of the ligament is to prevent the femur from moving forward on the tibia. This ligament pairs with the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments to keep your knee strong and stable.
How do I know I’ve snapped my ACL?
The cardinal signs we look for in clinic to confirm an ACL injury are:
·      You tell me a story similar to the one above
·      You heard/felt a large “Pop” or “Clunk” in the knee
·      Significant swelling is common, however not always the case
It is not uncommon (in fact it is usually the case) that you also tear your MCL and Medial Meniscus when you injure your ACL. When this occurs, your knee feels EVEN MORE unstable and can often be very difficult to weight bear.
Ok. My ACL is injured – what now?
If we think you have torn your ACL, you will require an MRI to confirm this. It is important to get this sooner rather than later to help determine what happens next, along with the extent of your injury.
Historically – and as is still the case in Australia now – surgery is the most common solution to this injury. There is a growing trend towards non-surgical management of ACL injuries, with early research suggesting that there may be no difference long-term between surgery and physiotherapy rehabilitation only. This is incredibly encouraging, as avoiding surgery is always great!!
This is a tricky and new horizon and requires a lot of teamwork between your surgeon and us as your physio. Either way – physiotherapy rehabilitation is necessary WITH or WITHOUT surgery. Without appropriate rehabilitation – returning to sport can increase, meaning you are 40 times more likely to re-injure your knee! Rehabilitation is usually between 9-12 months and needs to be physiotherapist-led to ensure the best chance of return to sport.
I want to prevent this!
Physique has worked hard to deliver resources to all of the sporting clubs on the Mountain to help prevent ACL injury. There is a mountain of research to show we can effectively reduce the rates of ACL injury (by up to 53%) with appropriate warmups before sport and strength/agility exercises. If you are playing sport, it is imperative to include the correct exercises and warmup to reduce the rates of this terrible injury.
Please contact Physique if you are interested in learning more, would like resources to prevent these, or if you have indeed injured your knee.