Medical imaging
Though clinical examination in experienced hands can be accurate, the diagnosis is usually confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, which provides images of the soft tissues like ligaments and cartilage around the knee. It may also permit visualization of other structures which may have been coincidentally involved, such as the menisci or collateral ligaments. An x-ray may be performed in addition to evaluate whether one of the bones in the knee joint was broken during the injury.MRI is perhaps the most used technique for diagnosing the state of the ACL, but it is not always the most reliable technique as the ACL can be obscured by blood that fills the joint after an injury. Arthrometers/Laximeters
Another form of evaluation that may be used in case physical examination and MRI are inconclusive is laximetry testing (i.e. arthrometry and stress imaging), which involve applying a force to the leg and quantifying the resulting displacement of the knee. These medical devices basically replicate manual tests but offer objective assessments. The GNRB arthrometer, for example, is a knee arthrometer that is considered more effective than the Lachman test. Classification
An injury to a ligament is called a sprain. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons defines ACL injury in terms of severity and classifies them as Grade 1, 2, or 3 sprains. Grade 1 sprains occur when the ligament is stretched slightly but the stability of the knee joint is not affected.
Cerliponase alfa is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability (ambulation) in symptomatic pediatric patients three years of age and older with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2), also known as tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1) deficiency.The efficacy of cerliponase alfa was established in a non-randomized, single-arm dose escalation clinical study in 22 symptomatic pediatric patients with CLN2 disease and compared to 42 untreated patients with CLN2 disease from a natural history cohort (an independent historical control group) who were at least three years old and had motor or language symptoms. Taking into account age, baseline walking ability and genotype, cerliponase alfa-treated patients demonstrated fewer declines in walking ability compared to untreated patients in the natural history cohort.The safety of cerliponase alfa was evaluated in 24 patients with CLN2 disease aged three to eight years who received at least one dose of cerliponase alfa in clinical studies. The trial was conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. The safety and effectiveness of cerliponase alfa has not been established in patients less than three years of age.Brineura-treated patients were compared to untreated patients from a natural history cohort by assessing disease progression through Week 96 of treatment. The investigators measured the loss of ability to walk or crawl using the Motor domain of the CLN2 Clinical Rating Scale.