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ACL Tear: What Should I Expect From My First Doctor Visit? - Dr. Mullen

 
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Dr. Mullen describes what you can expect from your initial doctor visit after tearing your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Dr. Mullen is an orthopedic surgeon at Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona.

Dr. Mullen:
When a woman comes into my office suspecting that she may have injured her ACL or her anterior cruciate ligament, the first thing that we are going to do is try and take a full history

Ask her questions about the injury, why she suspects that she may have torn her ACL. After that we are going to do a focused exam.

We examine the whole knee but in particular, I am going to make sure that I do a Lachman test, which is of course going to assess how much anterior excursion she has in her knee with different forces, and whether or not there’s a good end point, good, crisp end to where that ligament is keeping the knee in a good position.

Sometimes I’ll order an MRI scan not only to look to see if the ACL is indeed torn, but also to look for concomitant injuries or other injuries that are more subtle that might escape a physical exam or the X-rays.

So if you suspect you may have injured your ACL or your anterior cruciate ligament, that’s a general overview on what to expect for your first doctor visit.

About Dr. Daniel J. Mullen, M.D.:
Dr. Daniel J. Mullen, M.D., specializes in reconstructive procedures of both the knee and shoulder. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame. He went to medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia and did his orthopaedic training in Baltimore centered out of Union Memorial Hospital. He also worked at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and the Shock Trauma Center. He did a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio where he was assistant team doctor for the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the spring training division of the Cleveland Indians. He has authored numerous articles and textbook chapters and delivered many research and teaching presentations on surgery of the knee and the shoulder on both a national and international level. He volunteers his time and resources to help the local high school athletes during their sporting seasons. He lives in Gilbert, AZ, with his wife and two boys.

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Keywords:
Conditions: Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Related Terms: ACL Tear, ACL Reconstruction, ACL Injury, Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Ligament Injury, Knee Injury, Sports Injury, Knee Pain, Healthy Diet, Knee Replacement, Rehab, Physical Therapy, Recovery, Shoulder, RNG Structure, Scar Tissue, Muscle

Health Care Provider: Banner Baywood Medical Center, Orthopedic Institute at Banner Baywood Medical Center, Banner Health

Locations: Mesa, Arizona, South East Valley, Chandler, Arizona, Tempe, Arizona, Gilbert, Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, Apache Junction, AZ, Queen Creek, AZ, Phoenix East Valley, 85206

Expert: Daniel Mullen, M.D., Dan Mullen, M.D., Dr. Dan Mullen, Doctor Dan Mullen, Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Daniel Mullen

Expertise: Sports Injury, Anterior Cruciate Ligament, (ACL) Tears, ACL Tear Repair Rehabilitation, ACL Reconstructive Surgery, ACL Repair Surgery, ACL Knee Surgery, Women ACL Repair, Specialist, Sports ACL Procedure Repair, Skiing ACL Tear Expert, Women's Arthritis Expert, Arthritis Knee And Joint Pain, Expert Hip Replacement, Arthritis Joint Replacement, ACL Treatment Recovery, Knee Surgery, Rehab, Joint-Replacement Procedure, Hip And knee-Replacement Procedures, Sports-Related And Emergency Injuries, Degenerative Conditions Affecting The Bones, Joint Degeneration, Muscle Aches And Pain, Ligaments Tear Reconstruction, Tendon Repair Surgery, Cartilage Problems

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