The ACL is the most common type of knee injury and the most commonly injured knee ligament. The ACL usually tears as a result of sudden change in direction causing the knee to rotate inwards. This causes an excessive force to go through the knee joint and through the ACL and if this force exceeds the mechanical strength of the ACL the ACL will tear. This usually happens in sporting injuries and can be due to contact, for example during a tackle and sometimes and mostly in a non-contact situation when landing from a jump awkwardly. The most common sports are football for men and netball in women that result in ACL injury. ACL injuries can also occur in other sports where twisting around the knee can take place such as skiing. Injuries to the knee can also occur during accidents such as trips and falls down the stairs or road traffic accidents.
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