{"id":60869,"date":"2025-08-29T11:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T18:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=60869"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:34:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:34:34","slug":"twist-pivot-pop-understanding-acl-injuries-your-road-to-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/twist-pivot-pop-understanding-acl-injuries-your-road-to-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Twist, Pivot, Pop: Understanding ACL Injuries &amp; Your Road to Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Twist, Pivot, Pop: Understanding ACL Injuries &amp; Your Road to Recovery<\/h1>\t\t<time>August 29, 2025<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_2444d01c6d82c8dfcf63223d3a62303b\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Whether chasing a ball on the tennis court or skating toward the goal in a hockey game, a sudden twist or stop can lead to a dreaded ACL injury. This type of injury is one of the most common, and impactful, athletes and active individuals alike experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/patients-visitors\/find-a-doctor\/mccrum-christopher-1952643744\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christopher McCrum, MD<\/a>, orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon at <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/find-a-location\/samaritan-athletic-medicine-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samaritan Athletic Medicine Center<\/a> and consultant for Oregon State University athletics, has seen it all. From weekend warriors to elite athletes, his approach to care remains the same, helping patients return to the activities they love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy goal is to get patients back to their highest functional level,\u201d Dr. McCrum said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diagnosing the Injury<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An ACL tear is typically diagnosed with an X-ray to rule out bone damage, followed by an MRI to confirm the tear and assess soft tissue. Treatment options can vary and not everyone needs surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome people can run and jump with no ACL or one that has been compromised,\u201d Dr. McCrum said. \u201cOthers may struggle with every day or what seem like simple movements, like getting out of a car or turning in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For athletes that compete in sports like soccer, basketball or volleyball, having a stable knee is essential, and surgery is often the best path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Surgical Options Tailored to You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ACL reconstruction involves replacing the torn ligament with tissue from either your own body or a donor. Dr. McCrum helps patients choose the best option based on age, activity level and risk of reinjury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Quadriceps tendon graft<\/strong>: Often a top choice for younger athletes as it offers strong outcomes and less kneeling pain post-surgery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Patellar tendon graft<\/strong>: Common among professional athletes, this option is reliable but may cause discomfort when kneeling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hamstring graft<\/strong>: Ideal for those with quadricep weakness, as there is no bone removal, which means less pain when kneeling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople are generally in tune with their own bodies and can make a good choice based on that understanding,\u201d Dr. McCrum said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recovery &amp; Getting Back on Your Feet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ACL reconstruction is typically an outpatient procedure. After surgery patients will begin rehab right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis type of surgery does not require being cooped up in bed,\u201d Dr. McCrum said. \u201cRather, greater outcomes are seen when patients get back on their feet and begin the rehab process more quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recovery time can vary but most patients return to full activity within a year, sometimes sooner for high-level athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn sports medicine, we perform lifestyle-saving surgery,\u201d he said. \u201cI want you to get back to the activities you enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about other services at <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/find-a-location\/samaritan-athletic-medicine-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samaritan Athletic Medicine Center<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/ortho\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">orthopedic care<\/a> at Samaritan.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/return-to-sport-lg-CO-600x480.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"A silhouetted basketball player making a lay up.\" \/><\/figure><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Christopher-McCrum-OSUFootball-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta\" alt=\"Dr. Christopher McCrum on the sidelines of an OSU football game.\" \/><figcaption>Dr. Christopher McCrum specializes in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. He performs arthroscopy of the knee, shoulder and hip and specializes in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sudden twist or stop can lead to a dreaded ACL injury. This type of knee injury is one of the most common, and impactful that athletes and active individuals alike can experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":50237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"Refreshed original article posted on 02\/10\/2022 (ACL Repairs Are as Unique as Each Patient)","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[],"news-types":[270],"services":[239,254,257,263],"specialty":[49,79,37,70,27],"class_list":["post-60869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-types-feature-article","services-fitness-sports-performance","services-orthopedics","services-physical-rehabilitation","services-sports-medicine","specialty-health-fitness","specialty-occupational-therapy","specialty-orthopedic-surgery","specialty-physical-therapy","specialty-sports-medicine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60869"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=60869"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=60869"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=60869"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=60869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}