http://yourmedicalsource.com/library/ac ... hatis.html
Facts About Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears:
* The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) provides almost 90% of the stability to the knee joint.
* More than 11.2 million visits are made to physicians' offices because of a knee problem. It is the most often treated anatomical site by orthopedic surgeons.
* Of the four major ligaments in the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament are most often injured in sports.
* Reconstruction of a torn ACL is now a common procedure, with over 50,000 hospital admissions per year.
* ACL ruptures occur at a rate of 60 per 100,000 people per year. With society's increasing interest in physical fitness, primary care physicians are seeing more athletic injuries. Along with these injuries are the commonly experienced ACL ruptures in athletes and non-athletes alike. Today's athletes have greater than a 90% chance of returning to their pre-injury level of sports participation.
* ACL reconstruction is a highly successful operation. With good rehabilitation, 90% to 95% of individuals who undergo this surgery can expect to return to full sports participation within six months.