Does your kid play sports? If so, they are more susceptible to get an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
The ACL is one of the ligaments in the knee joint. While this ligament is a tough, flexible band of tissue that can hold all of your bones and cartilage together, they can still be torn. When this happens, the knee would take time to go back to being stable. Injuries can go from mild to severe. Severe cases happen when the ligament completely tears apart from the rest of the bone of the knee. The patient will experience intense pain, which may be unbearable for a kid. If worse comes to worst, your injured kid may need ACL surgery in Singapore.
While it may sound alarming, there are modern solutions that can help your kid get back on their feet. Here, you will learn more about the ACL condition. It will help you know the necessary care and steps to take when your kid suffers from it. When everything turns out all right with the treatment, you will also find some aftercare tips below to prevent the injury from happening again.
Often occurring during sports, an ACL injury may happen if your kid’s knee joint is bent backwards, twisted, or bent sideways. It happens when athletes suddenly change direction during a run or when they land from a jump. Most sports require knee movement, especially sports with stop-and-go movements. Thus, it is important to warm them up before playing.
In some cases, however, an orthopaedic doctor in Singapore, sees in patients that patients were hit by another person or object that caused the injury. Whichever cause that happened to your kid, you must watch out for these symptoms:
As soon as the symptoms happen, you must assist your kid in walking. Putting pressure on the knees can intensify the pain they are experiencing or even result in greater injury. The next question you must have in mind may be, ‘So, what do I do next?’
If there is no access to any nearby Singapore orthopaedic surgery clinic, adults in the field must start first aid. When it comes to an ACL injury, the initial treatment must be done, and it is called RICE.
Each letter of RICE stands for Rest the knee, put Ice on it, get an elastic bandage to give Compression to the knee, and Elevate the leg by propping it above the level of the patient’s heart. Accomplishing this will reduce pain, but remember that professional care must come after.
Diagnosis will help determine the next steps to heal the injury. Every orthopaedic doctor in Singapore that you approach will ask about how the injury occurred. Therefore, you must be ready to provide them with the details, including what caused it. Whether it is from playing soccer or basketball, you must tell them what happened. They will conduct a physical examination to determine the severity of your kid’s injury.
Depending on the diagnosis, treatment will range from taking over-the-counter pain medicine to surgery. Medicine can be acetaminophen or ibuprofen paired with plenty of rest to recover.
Mild tears can be treated with bracing and physical therapy. At this time, your kid will wear crutches at home and in school to assist with the recovery. Ensure that your child follows the mild stretches that the PT recommends. You may ask your orthopaedic doctor in Singapore for a referral to a trained PT for children.
For severe cases, surgery must take place. Though it will depend on several factors such as the type of activity that your child wishes to pursue, their age, and other injuries to the knee, an ACL repair surgery may be needed. Trust that your kid’s healthcare professional will let you know how the treatment will go.
It would take about 6 to 12 months for them to recover from their ACL surgery in Singapore. As a parent, you must remember that your kid needs you during this process. It will take time for them to be normal again, so they may feel several negative emotions knowing that they might not be able to play their favourite sport ever again. What you must do is:
Start by bringing them to a trained and experienced orthopaedic doctor in Singapore, Dr Kannan. You can find them in the Specialist Orthopaedic Centre!
Call them on their website to schedule a consultation today!
