How do you recognize a cruciate ligament tear?
A cruciate ligament tear is noticeable at the moment of the accident as acute, severe pain in the knee. Some sufferers report a tearing or shifting sensation in the knee. As the injury progresses, the pain becomes especially noticeable with exertion. The knee swells, which often limits movement in the joint.
Because a torn cruciate ligament usually also injures smaller blood vessels, a bruise often develops in or around the joint. In addition, the knee feels unstable.
Not in every case does the affected person notice a cruciate ligament tear immediately. Sometimes it is the unsteadiness of gait and knee instability that call attention to the injury. Even at low levels of stress, the knee will buckle away while walking if the cruciate ligament is torn (giving-way phenomenon).
Depending on which of the two ligaments is affected and tears, it hurts in appropriate places.
Symptoms of anterior cruciate ligament rupture
Some people feel and hear a distinct “pop” as soon as the anterior cruciate ligament tears. There is usually severe pain, but it subsides after a short time and rest. If the knee is loaded again, the pain returns. The knee is unstable (“wobbly knee”). Especially when going down stairs, the thigh shifts backwards in relation to the lower leg, accompanied by pain.
In the case of a posterior cruciate ligament tear, some sufferers also notice a cracking sensation in the knee. In addition to swelling, pain is often felt particularly in the back of the knee. However, there is also generalized knee pain in the front area and discomfort when sprinting and slowing down.
The tibia shifts backward in relation to the thigh when the posterior cruciate ligament is torn, which is especially noticeable when going down stairs. People with a posterior cruciate ligament tear often compensate for the lack of joint stability in the knee by walking with the knee slightly bent.
