Demystifying partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament: A review of current diagnostic and management strategies

Abstract

Partial tears of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are a diagnostic and management challenge. There is ongoing discussion and debate about the ideal management of a partial tear with "ala carte" options available in the current literature. Findings can remain occult on imaging studies, necessitating more efficient clinical examination and acumen to identify patients requiring surgical intervention. The authors through this literature review provide an overview on partial tears of ACL including the background anatomy, pathology, clinical diagnosis, imaging finding, and surgical techniques. The literature is critically probed and tabulated for effortless assessment. The objective is to help the orthopedic surgeon decide the optimal course for a suspected partial ACL tear. The authors do not aim to provide a guideline but rather present an inventory of available options and approaches for managing partial ACL tear. This review is a comprehensive amalgamation of the heterogeneity in the present literature.