EFFECTIVENESS OF CROSS BRACING PROTOCOL FOR ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) TEARS - A NARRATIVE REVIEW.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common knee injuries in sports. ACL injuries have doubled over the last two decades, despite the efforts of researchers and clinicians to mitigate risk. The Cross-Bracing Protocol is a non-surgical treatment for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that involves immobilizing the knee at 90 degrees for four weeks and gradually increasing the range of motion via a specific schedule until the full extension is reached and the brace can be removed. The surgery is not the only option for achieving a functional ACL. Objective: The objective of this review was to explore various articles to determine the effectiveness of the cross-bracing protocol for ACL tears. Method: This is a narrative review. Articles were searched and reviewed on Google Scholar, PubMed, and Research Gate using terms such as ACL injury, ACL prevalence, cross-bracing protocol, etc. Articles published from 2019 onwards were included. Articles published before 2019 were excluded, and articles on surgical management for ACL were also excluded. Result: This review states that the cross-bracing protocol is effective in healing non-surgical ACL tears. Conclusion: After reviewing various articles, it was found that in treating ACL rupture with a cross-bracing protocol, 90% of patients had evidence of ACL healing and associated with better knee function and quality of life, less passive knee laxity and a higher return-to-sport rate. Implication: Cross-bracing can be a valuable method in managing ACL tears, it should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes medical guidance, rehabilitation, and monitoring.