Andrew Johns ACL

[injuryupdate]

Just posted the following video of Andrew Johns twisting his right ACL in the round 3 game against Parramatta.

Visit:
http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/images/videos/johnsACL.mpg

[injuryupdate]

Interesting to analyse the video. I actually reckon he tears the ACL on his first step on the right after receiving the ball, because he is landing off-balance, and then he tries to change direction on the next step and the knee collapses below him.

[hhh]

I was conversing with a knee surgeon who had a patient presenting with knee trauma as a result of a skiiing accident. The MRI showed damage to the ACL, however there was no signs of acute injury/inflammation etc. The surgeon believed a previous injury had taken place which had resulted in the damage to the ACL, but the patient (27 year old female) could not recall a previous injury.

Is it possible for microtrauma to occur to the ACL (similar to achilles damage etc) which will then predispose future ACL damage from relatively minor trauma, like the Johns example and this is going back a few years but I think Tune did his playing for the Wallabies when he took possession and pushed off creating a valgus strain on the knee.

[sydunisportsmed]

I don't think anyone knows the answer to this, but it is probably acute incidents. In football ACL injuries are much more common early in the season, and with the repetitive trauma theory you would expect them to occur later in the year.

Some people can have loose ACL ligaments naturally and mimic the appearance of a previous tear without previous trauma.

Some people when they do their ACL don't have much disability. With the Roosters in 2003, Peter Cusack tore his ACL during the first half of a game and played the game out without reporting the injury until afterwards. This is a bit of an exception as obviously most people limp or get carried off.

[injuryupdate]

This is a big file (4-5MB) but if you want the David Seage video from the same game as Andrew Johns, visit:
http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/images/videos/seageACL.mpg

This was a bad game - effectively ended Newcastle's season in round 3.