ACL Tear in Under 3 Minutes: NPTE Cheat Sheet

ACL Tear — NPTE Cheat SheetWhat it is:ACL failure from excessive anterior tibial translation — basically the tibia tries to run off and the ACL can’t hold the line.Classic signs:PopImmediate swelling (1–2 hours)Pivot / cutting mechanismInstabilityDifficulty weight-bearingRule-in test:Lachman test — NPTE’s #1.Rule-out clues:Slow swelling → MeniscusPosterior sag → PCLMedial pain → MCLNPTE trap:Delayed swelling means NOT ACL.Best treatment:Early ROM, quads, swelling control, gait normalized.Mock question included: Yes — test yourself before you move on.Lock down ACLs in under 3 minutes. Hit follow for more NPTE wins.