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ONE OF THE RISKS OF PLAYING
SPORTS IS GETTING HURT.
AN INJURY WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT
IS A TORN ACL.
ACL INJURIES ARE COMMON, IN
FACT, PEOPLE CALL IT MAYBE AN
EPIDEMIC, ESPECIALLY IN OUR
YOUNGER ATHLETES.
THE ACL IS A LIGAMENT THAT
HELPS STABILIZE THE KNEE JOINT,
PLAYING BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL,
SOCCER, TENNIS PUTS YOU AT
HIGHEST RISK OF INJURY, HALF OF
THOSE WHO GET HURT NEED
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY.
WCCO'S ANGELA ANGLUS DISCOVERED
NEW-- ANGELA DAVIS DISCOVERED
ADVICE ON HOW LONG THEY SHOULD
BE SIDELINES AFTER THE
OPERATION.
Reporter: AMAZING WHAT THE
HUMAN BODY IN ITS BEST FORM CAN
DO, BUT WHEN AN ATHLETE GETS
HURT, THE DIAGNOSIS IS RUPTURED
ACL, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, A
LONG RECOVERY PROCESS.
YOU TEAR THE ACL, IT SPLAYS
APART, LOOKS LIKE CRAB MEAT
ALMOST, THOSE RECEPTORS, THE
NERVOUS TISSUE, THE CENSOR
SYSTEM IS DISRUPTED.
Reporter: 16-YEAR-OLD LIZY
PLAYS SOCCER FOR APPLE VALLEY
HIGH SCHOOL.
HAWKER, TOO.
LAST YEAR-- HOCKEY, TOO, LAST
YEAR SHE TORE THE ACL.
GIRL WAS COMING WITH THE
BALL, I PLAY DEFENSE, SHE KICKED
IT BEHIND ME, SO I WENT TO STOP
ON MY ONE LEG AND IT KIND OF
GAVE OUT.
I FELL.
Reporter: DOCTORS HAVE
TRADITIONALLY ADVISED ACL
PATIENTS TO WAIT 6-12 MONTHS
AFTER SURGERY BEFORE RETURNING
TO THEIR SPORT.
BUT THIS SPRING, RESEARCHERS AT
THE MAYO CLINIC IN ROCHESTER
SHARED A DIFFERENT OPINION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE A
CONTROVERSIAL IDEA BECAUSE ALL
OF THESE SURGEONS, PHYSIOTHEIR
PS, ATHLETIC TRAINERS ARE
PUTTING ARE PUTTING KIDS BACK
6-12 MONTHS BUT THEY ARE REALLY
NOT READY TO GO BACK.
Reporter: DR. HEWITT AND HIS
TEAM AT THE MAYO SPORTS MEDICINE
RESEARCH CENTER REVIEWED YEARS
OF DATA ON ACL INJURIES AND
RECOVERIES AND SAY THERE IS
EVIDENCE THE BODY NEEDS TWO
YEARS TO FULLY RECOVER FROM
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AFTER AN
ACL TEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT RECOVERY OF
THINGS LIKE PREP ROCEPTION,
SENSATION OF YOUR KNEE JOINT,
THEY DON'T RETURN ATILL TWO
YEARS AFTER THE INJURY-- UNTIL
TWO YEARS AFTER THE INJURY.
YOU DON'T SENSE THE JOINT AS
WELL.
YOU DON'T CONTROL YOUR BODY AS
WELL.
Reporter: DR. HEWITT SAYS BY
NOT WAITING TWO YEARS, ATHLETES
ARE RETURNING BEFORE THEY
REGAINED BALANCE OF THE KNEES
AND HIPS AND BEFORE DAMAGE NERVE
TISSUE HEALED.
IT CREATES A HIGH RISK OF
REINJURY.
WAITING 2 YEARS, YOU WILL MISS
OPPORTUNITY.
NOEB WANTS TO DO IT.
IT IS BASED ON DATA AND
SOMETIMES PEOPLES MINDS DON'T
WRAP AROUND DATA, THEY WRAP
AROUND EMOTIONS.
NO SWELLING, THAT IS GREAT.
EXCELLENT RANGE OF MOTION.
VERY NICELY.
Reporter: NINE MONTHS AFTER
LIZY'S RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY ON
HER LEFT KNEE, SHE IS BACK AT
SOCCER PRACTICE.
6 MONTHS AFTER HER SURGERY, SHE
WAS ON THE ICE PLAYING HOCKEY.
THE BEGINNING, I WAS LIKE
THIS WILL TAKE A WHILE TO GET
BACK, THEN THERE WAS A POINT, I
WAS LIKE I FEEL REALLY GOOD.
Reporter: DR. JASON IS LIZY'S
ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, HER RECOVERY
WAS STRENGTH TRAINING, BALANCE
EXERCISES AND EXTENSIVE TESTING
ALONG THE WAY.
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ALSO TAUGHT
HER WAYS TO AVOID REINJURY.
ABLE TO BUILD THE STRENGTH
BACK UP, SORT OF LEARN HOW DO I
LAND?
HOW DO I LAND SO THAT I AM NOT
PLANTING AND LETTING THAT KNEE
CAVE IN AND BUCKLE?
SO THE ACL IS AT RISK.
Reporter: WHAT DOES THE
SURGEON THINK OF WAITING TWO
YEARS INSTEAD OF 6 MONTHS TO A
YEAR?
HE SAYS EVERY PATIENT IS
DIFFERENT AND RECOVERY TIMES CAN
VARY WIDELY.
IT DOES NOTHING BUT TELL ME
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WAYS
TO GO AND I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS
TO BE A FULL TWO YEARS.
Reporter: DR. HOMES SAYS THE
MAYO CLINIC FINDINGS ARE
VALUABLE, GIVING SURGEONS A
RESOURCE TO SHARE WITH PATIENTS
SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW
COMPLICATEED AND SERIOUS AN ACL
INJURY CAN BE.
ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO 4 NEWS.
DOCTORS SAY TEENAGE GIRLS ARE