Ayurveda Approach in the Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear of Knee

Abstract

The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. The two cruciate ligaments in the knee, anterior and posterior, are often referred to as the ‘crucial’ ligaments, because of their importance in providing knee stability. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most seen injury in sports and has a devastating influence on patients' activity levels and quality of life. Complete ACL rupture can induce other pathological knee conditions including knee instability, damage to menisci and the chondral surface, and osteoarthritis. Here a case report of a 28-year-old male who while playing football had a trauma to the right knee with a pop sound and acute pain at the time of incidence. He presented to the hospital with a knee which was swollen and tender. On MRI he was diagnosed with complete tear of ACL and grade II tear of lateral collateral ligament. A one-month Ayurveda treatment protocol was developed and followed for the patient. The patient was able to return to his daily activities without instability and also got relief from pain with noticeable improvement in the movement of knee joint. Keywords: anterior cruciate ligament tear, knee joint, janu sandhi, bhagna