When To Call A Professional
Table of Contents
Call your doctor immediately if your knee becomes swollen or deformed, even if it is not painful. This is especially important if you cannot bear weight on your injured knee or if the knee feels as if it will buckle or "give out."
Prognosis
About 90% of patients with ACL injuries fully recover, as long as they faithfully follow a good rehabilitation program. As a long-term complication, some patients with Grade III ACL injuries may eventually develop symptoms of osteoarthritis in the injured knee joint. According to one study, 50% to 60% of patients who suffered a severe ACL sprain showed X-ray evidence of knee osteoarthritis within 5 years after their ACL injury.
Additional Info
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse 1 AMS Circle Bethesda, MD 20892-3675 Phone: (301) 495-4484 Toll-Free: (877) 226-4267 Fax: (301) 718-6366 TTY: (301) 565-2966 http://www.niams.nih.gov/
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) 4200 Forbes Boulevard Suite 202 Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: (301) 459-5900 http://www.naric.com/naric/
American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine 6300 North River Rd. Suite 200 Rosemont, IL 60018 Phone: (847) 292-4900 Toll-Free: (877) 321-3500 Fax: (847) 292-4905 http://www.sportsmed.org/
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 6300 North River Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018-4262 Phone: (847) 823-7186 Toll-Free: (800) 346-2267 Fax: (847) 823-8125 http://www.aaos.org/
National Athletic Trainers' Association 2952 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75247-6196 Phone: (214) 637-6282 Fax: (214) 637-2206 http://www.nata.org/
American Physical Therapy Association 1111 North Fairfax St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1488 Phone: (703) 684-2782 Toll-Free: (800) 999-2782 Fax: (703) 684-7343 http://www.apta.org/
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