Dr. Walters Discusses ACL Injuries

Dr. Jordan D. Walters, an orthopedic surgeon at TOC specializing in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, appeared on the Greg Tish Show on Real Talk 93.3 on August 14, 2023 to talk about ACL injuries.

Dr. Walters informed listeners that tearing your ACL does not just happen to athletes. Whether you’re moving furniture for a yard sale or trying to relive your glory days, tearing your ACL can happen to just about anyone. Dr. Walters explains that you can actually hear an ACL injury. He says that if you hear or feel popping, it’s probably a good idea to call it quits and head to a doctor.

Dr. Walters explains that the extent of the injury doesn’t mean much, noting that you need all of your ACL intact in order to function properly. He also warns against being too confident when dealing with an injured ACL. Walters noted that after a few days have gone by and the swelling has died down, usually people think they’re okay to move around freely again. However, all it takes is one pivot in the wrong direction for you to be back where you started.

According to Dr. Walters, around 20 years ago doctors would pride themselves in getting their patients ACL injuries healed as quickly as possible. However, once the re-tear rates started getting high, doctors began to realize they were actually doing a disservice to their patients. When asked about dealing with athletes that may be too eager to get back on the field when they’re still in the healing phase, Dr. Walters explains that sometimes they have to put patients in situations to make them realize they’re not ready, such as, bringing in previous patients who have dealt with re-injuries to warn them.

Dr. Walters encourages you to visit TOC if you’re experiencing knee pain, explaining that while it might not be the most enjoyable experience to go to the doctor, it’s much better to go sooner than later and find out there has been a problem all along.