FC Barcelona: Andreu Fontas Underwent Knee Surgery

Andreu Fontas underwent knee surgery to repair the right anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee. Drs. Ramon Cugat and Ricard Pruna were the surgeons involved, and they spoke at a press conference.

Dr. Cugat and Dr. Pruna said that Fontas is expected to recover within six months and is in "high spirits". The doctors went on to say that Fontas had previous surgery in the foot after a fracture.

The incident has helped Fontas deal with his present situation of the knee surgery. What's the anterior cruciate ligament, and why does it affect athletes?

The anterior cruciate ligament or ACL (according to WebMD)  is one of the muscles that unite the upper and lower leg bone. The ACL is one of the ligaments that maintains the stability of the knee.

The ACL can be injured during a sporting event such as world football and have painful consequences. The injury to the ACL occurs when the feet are on the ground, and the knee is subjected to extreme movements.

The symptoms of an ACL injury are the following: a popping sound at the time of injury, pain, swelling, possible bleeding inside the knee joint, limited knee movement and instability. The diagnosis of ACL is made with X Rays and/or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

The treatment is immediate which is resting the leg, placing ice, compression and elevation of the leg against the area of the heart. The other part of treatment is based on resting the knee and rehabilitation.

The purpose is to attempt to restore some stability to the damaged knee. It's hoped that Fontas is able to recover rapidly.

Only time will tell if that's possible.