casestudy_tornACL

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School

Eastern Idaho Technical College *

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Course

100

Subject

Anatomy

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

3

Uploaded by ElderElectron12836

Anatomy & Physiology Name __________________ Mr. Scheffel Period__________________ Clinical Case Study Torn Ligaments: The case of athletic knee injury Derrick Williams was living out his dream, playing college football as a wide receiver. He had just caught a 35 yard pass and was running between the defenders towards the goal line. As he planted his right foot and quickly cut toward the sideline to avoid being tackled, he was hit hard from behind and immediately felt a pop in his knee while falling sharply to the ground in pain. The team athletic trainer ran to the field to assess the situation. The trainer started with a routine field exam to rule out injuries that would prevent the athlete from being moved, such as back, head injuries or bone fractures. After deciding the injury was isolated to the knee, the trainer and other coaches assisted him off the field. The trainer continued to work on assessing the injury on the sidelines. After ruling out other knee injuries, the trainer performed testing to confirm his suspicions of a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The testing confirmed the trainer's suspicion of a tear in the ACL. Derrick was referred to an orthopedic doctor. Physical exam showed swelling in the knee and hemarthrosis. The physician ordered an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) on the knee to confirm the diagnosis and assess the extent of the injury. After evaluating the MRI results, the orthopedic surgeon recommended surgery to reconstruct the ACL tendon. Derrick was a young athlete who had dreams of playing professionally, but would need full function of his knee. Derrick would definitely not return to play this season, but if all went well, he should be able to return the following season. The surgery would not take place for 3-6 weeks. The swelling in the knee would need to subside as well as the hemarthrosis for the surgery to be successful. The pre-surgery goal would be to reduce swelling and pain and restore a full range of motion. Derrick would begin physical therapy as soon as possible. The orthopedic surgeon preformed surgery one month after the initial injury. At this point the swelling and hemarthrosis had subsided and Derrick's knee was stronger due to physical therapy. The surgeon explained that he would perform the surgery arthroscopically. The surgeon would use a graft from Derrick's patellar tendon to replace the torn ACL ligament. Although Derrick's surgery was a success, he still had a long road of physical therapy in front of him. The reconstructed ligament would take at least 6 months to regain adequate strength. At 6 months Derrick was released to full activity, but still maintained his weightlifting exercises to keep his knee healthy. His chances of being able to play football next season with a perfectly healthy knee were improving every day! Vocabulary Hemarthrosis: Blood that has accumulated inside a joint due to severe bleeding from injury. Analysis Questions : 1. How do the cruciate ligaments in the knee aid in maintaining stability of the joint? The cruciate ligaments in the knee aid in maintaining stability by having them cross over in the front and have the bracket on each side of the knee. Allowing flexion and not allowing hyperextension.
Anatomy & Physiology Name __________________ Mr. Scheffel Period__________________ 2. Why does swelling and hemarthrosis occur in Derrick’s knee following the injury? It immobilizes the joint so it is not further damaged. 3. What are the purposes of the rehabilitation exercises and physical therapy? Rehabilitation exercises and physical therapy allow someone to build up strength over time and restore range of motion, in order to reach full health and activity. ANATOMY OF THE KNEE
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