The knee is basically a modified hinge joint positioned where the end of the femur meets the top of the tibia. Overstretching of anterior cruciate ligament within the knee will generally result to a torn ligament. This commonly occurs as a result of a twisting motion and abrupt stop of the knee, or a blow or force to the front of the knee. Sports like soccer and other running sports are the common cause of anterior cruciate ligament injury, and the ensuing damages to the ligaments ranges from mild to severe. Individuals experiencing a tear within the anterior cruciate ligament may or may not sense a pop at the moment of the injury.
After the initial injury, however, the knee may swell and become painful. Unevenness or a sensation that the knee is giving out may be a foremost complaint subsequent to the injury. Muscle Group Most Affected During An Injured Athlete’s Comeback Ligaments connect bone to bone across the joint. They are dense, strong structures made of connective tissue that stabilize a joint. The anterior cruciate ligament, in particular is one of the most imperative of four muscular ligaments connecting the bones of the knee joint.
The function of anterior cruciate ligament is to reduce stress across the knee joint and provide steadiness to the knee, as such, it is often injured among other structures inside the knee when excessively twisted (ehealthMD, 2004, p. 1). The major muscles that will be affected due to straightening and bending of the knee of an athlete following an anterior cruciate ligament injury are the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles. The quadriceps muscle is composed of four large muscles at the front of the thigh.
Jointly they form a fleshy mass wrapping the sides and front of the thigh bone. This is the major muscle group that straightens the knee. The hamstring muscles, on the other hand, are the muscles behind the upper leg that bends the lower leg backward Role of Muscles During Ground Support Every athlete develops an appreciation for the demands of their quadriceps and hamstrings. During running and other ground activities, the quadriceps and hamstring muscles function to some extent in absorbing the energy of ground impact by means of unconventional movement through mid-support.
Unlike most muscles, the quadriceps and the hamstrings cross two joints, the knee and the hip. This indicates that they support the function of both joints, making an injury to either muscle group exceptionally disappointing to ground activities. Together these two muscle groups are significantly essential to the stability of the lower-extremity, particularly in contact sports and those that involve fast changes in direction, along with pivoting and twisting movements. Type of training may improve this athlete’s lower extremity function during ground support