Understanding and Preventing the Most Common Knee Injuries
The knee is an integral joint in terms of movement, but this joint absorbs much impact while it supports the weight of the body. Depending on the type of activities that you engage in, the level of impact absorbed by your knee may vary. The knee joint connects the kneecap (the patella) with the second bone in the lower part of the leg (the fibula). It also connects the shin bone (the tibia) with the thigh bone (the femur). Four ligaments serve to stabilize the joint; these ligaments are known as the Lateral Collateral Ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament, Posterior Cruciate Ligament, and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
Understanding Knee Pain
Knee pain is something that countless
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Ice is often used to combat inflammation caused by a knee injury. In cases where inflammation is severe, elevating the leg above the heart is a standard practice. A person who frequently experiences knee inflammation after engaging in activity may need to wear a knee support. A knee support will provide support by compressing the area, and this may help to deal with the inflammation.
When Ligaments Are Damaged
Ligaments connect the bones located within the knee joint. Damage to the ligament may affect stability after first affecting mobility. The knee may become less and less capable of sustaining a normal amount of weight.
Damage to a knee ligament is graded according to degrees (from one to three). An injury that is a grade one will be painful, and it will impose some limits in regard to mobility. After an individual rests the knee for a certain time and performs exercises of strength, a full recovery is likely. A grade three rupture or tear will likely require some surgery before an individual may gain full use of the knee again.
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is typically involved in 40% of knee injuries sustained after playing extreme sports. A person who sustains a knee injury such as this may wish to wear a knee brace that is rigid. A rigid knee brace may help to keep the knee stabilized.
Osteoarthritis and the
Grade III MCL Tear: This is a complete tear of the MCL Athletes will have significant pain and swelling as
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) are located inside the knee joint. The ACL and PCL form an ‘X’ behind the kneecap (patella), with the ACL resting in front of the PCL. Both of these ligaments are responsible for controlling the back and forth motion of the knee joint; however, the ACL is responsible for stabilizing the kneecap ). In addition, the ACL is responsible for preventing the shin bone (tibia) from sliding forward on the thigh bone (femur). The ACL provides the knee with stability while an individual pivots or twists. This ligament is critical because without it, performing any kind of rotational activity is impossible, particularly when it comes to playing sports like soccer and basketball.
With an ever increasing number of people becoming involved with athletic activities, there is an increasing number of injuries occurring which can be devastating for the individual. Most of the injuries that affect athletes occur in one of four structures in the human body: bones, muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Because ligaments attach bone to bone and play a major part in providing stability for joints, the major stabilizing ligament in the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), assists in performing everyday actions of the human body including sitting, standing, walking, running, dancing, and participating in other sports. The injury that specifically affects this ligament is very serious and always
The ACL originates from the medial and anterior aspect of the tibial plateau and runs superiorly, laterally, and posteriorly toward its insertion on the lateral femoral condyle. Together with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the ACL guides the instantaneous center of rotation of the knee, therefore controlling joint kinematics. To a lesser degree, the ACL checks extension and hyperextension. The ACL is not as strong as the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and it is less strong at its femoral origin than at its tibial insertion. Muscles surrounding the knee joint contribute to knee stabilization during lower extremity movements.
There is actually a lot of different knee injuries than we think. A lot of knee injuries actually have a torn ligament and/or cartilage and that can cause the person to rest longer, take Sayers for example, he needed to rest for a bit and do physical therapy to heal it. Another thing is bone spurs, a bone spur is the joint damage associated with osteoarthritis and it can go undetected for years as told on the Mayo Clinic.org.
Grade 1 ACL sprain is the slightest extreme of all the ACL sprains the muscle is harmed yet just a bit. It has been marginally extended, however the ACL is still ready to keep the knee stable and can work without a support. Grade 2 ACL sprain is the point at which the muscle is extended to the point where it turns out to be free. This is alluded to as a fractional tear of the ligament. Grade 3 ACL sprains is a finished tear of the ACL and is the most serious of the considerable number of sprains. The muscle has been part into two pieces and the knee joint is not ready to work without a support. Incomplete tears of the foremost cruciate ligament are not regular most ACL wounds are finished or practically finish tears. (American Foundation of Orthopedic Specialists)
the knee that can be felt. Because of this and the PCL, the knee stays attached, stable, and functional. But when the ACL is injured in the form of a tear the knee has limited function until the tear is fixed, and even then many female athletes still have problems with their knees throughout the rest of their athletic career because the ACL may not recover 100% of its function and stability. Without reconstruction surgery, everyday tasks such as walking are still possible but for high performance athletes, the torn ACL cannot endure the stress placed on the knee.
A knee injury can be a painful and debilitating setback for anyone, however for athletes experiencing knee problems it can be a deal breaker that threatens to take them out the game. This is why many professional athletes are opting to treat their knee injuries with cold laser therapy rather than go through traditional knee surgery. Unfortunately, the athletes who rely on their knees the most are also the ones who are prone to knee injuries. Knee damage is extremely common in many sports, especially long distance running, competitive cycling, basketball, tennis, volleyball, skiing and weight lifting. Most athletes' training
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. The knee has two joints the tibia (shin bone) joins the femur (thigh bone) this joint is known as the tibiofemoral joint the second joint is called patellofemoral which are joins between the kneecap and the femur. The patellofemoral and tibiofemoral works together to form the synovial hinge joint this hinge joint allows the knee to rotate a little and move side to side, it also allows the knee to be straight and bend. When standing the thigh (femur) and shin bone (tibia) locks together to form a firm component; when sitting the two bones hardly touch each other. According to HealthPages, there are five main parts of the knee joints which are bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilages
Three bones meet to form the knee joint. These include the thighbone, or femur, the shinbone, or tibia, and the kneecap, or patella. These bones are connected to other bones by ligaments. There are four major ligaments in the knee. These ligaments include the Medial Collateral Ligament, or MCL, the Lateral Collateral Ligament, or LCL, the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, or PCL.
Ligament and meniscal injuries are traumatic injuries in the knee. Ligaments are fibrous connective tissue that connect the bone to the cartilage and it also holds a joint together. The ACL is the ligament that gets injured the most due to where it is sited in the knee. When ligament or meniscus injury occurs, the client will experience pain and good possibility of instability of the joint. What will the client feel when injury occurs? When do most injuries occur? What surgical management will be needed? Some injuries are more severe than others and therefore an X-Ray will be taken to rule out arthritis or possible broken knee cap, MRI will be ordered by physician to determine if there is a tear. NSAIDs may be recommended for
Out of the many ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the knee, the ACL is the most common to injure. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a vital ligamentous stabilizer of the knee that resists anterior
When it comes to your ability to move around, participate in sports, and simply walk, your knee joints are vital. The knee itself is made up of multiple ligaments, bones, and tendons and of all of these different parts that need to work together to make the joint work. One of these parts is called the medial collateral ligament or MCL. It is responsible for adding a little more stability to your knee and leg as well as preventing your knee from bending in dangerous directions. If you are noticing some pain in the inside portion of your knee or possibly you feel unsteady on one or both of your feet you may have injured your MCL.
The knee is a hinge joint which gives the legs mobility. The muscles and ligaments of this joint allows flexion and extension of the leg. “Because the knee supports the majority of the body weight, it is at risk of overuse and traumatic injuries” (France). The knee is composed of 3 major bones; the femur, tibia, and the fibula. The femur is the biggest bone in the human body, the inferior end flares out into two rounded landmarks called femoral condyles. Their name comes from the side of the body they are on, which is where we get Lateral Femoral Condyle and Media Femoral Condyle. Superiorly to these condlyes are the medial and lateral femoral epicondyles. The bones inferior to the femur are the Tibia and Fibula. The superior end of the Tibia flares out into slightly concave structures called the Tibial Plateaus. A crescent wedge shape of cartilage sits in each plateau. These are the Medial Meniscus and the Lateral Meniscus. This cartilage acts as a shock absorber and distributes forces. “The menisci are bathed by the synovial fluid of the knee” (France). The meniscus is what separates the each side of the Tibia and Femur and the transverse ligament connects each menisci. There is a circular bone on the
A medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of the four ligaments in knee. The MCL is on the inside of the knee and connects a person’s thigh bone with the lower leg. An injury or tear to the MCL is common especially among athletes.