Description

Short Description of Knee Injury

The knee is one of the most common parts of the body that is injured.  The types of knee injuries are: sprains, strains, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, meniscus tears and overuse injuries. 

Symptoms of Knee Injury

• Swelling and stiffness
• Redness and warmth to the touch 
• Weakness or instability 
• Popping or crunching noises 
• Inability to completely straighten the knee 

About Knee Injury 

There is no doubt that the knee is one of the most commonly injured body parts and this occurs as a result of sports activities, falls, motor-vehicle accidents to name a few.  The different kinds of knee injury are described by the affected anatomy and the mechanism by which it is injured. 

Etiology of Knee Injury 

Injury to the knee is generally caused by twisting or bending force applied to it, a direct blow, such as from accidents, sports or falls.  Risk factors for getting a knee injury include overuse, incorrect training, osteoporosis and participating in high-impact sports that involve sudden directional changes. 

Diagnosis of Knee Injury

• History and Physical Examination
• X-Ray
• MRI

Types of Knee Injury 

Knee Sprains — These refer to injuries to the ligaments that hold the knee in place.  There are a number of ligaments that help stabilize the knee and ensure it is in correct alignment. For example, the ACL or anterior cruciate ligament and the PCL or posterior cruciate ligament stabilize the knee in movement from front to back and cross each other in the middle of the knee joint.  The MCL or medial collateral ligament and LCL or lateral collateral ligament help stabilize the knee so that the bones are preventing from sliding side to side.  The ligament sprains are graded by the amount of stretching or tearing of the ligament fibers and how much instability it causes as follows:

• Grade 1 knee sprain – Ligament is stretched and there is pain but the fibers are intact and there is no instability. 
• Grade 2 knee sprain – there are torn ligament fibers that can cause pain and instability but only mild. 
• Grade 3 knee sprain – there is complete tearing of the ligament fibers and the knee is now unstable.
• Knee Strains –This type of injury occurs when muscles or tendons enclosing the knee are stretched usually because of hyperflexion or hyperextension. The strains lead to pain outside of the knee joint but can also result to dysfunction of the usual range of motion of the knee. The patellar tendon stretches from the lower kneecap to the front of the tibia bone at the front of the leg. 

Knee Bursitis – This happens when a fluid filled pouch (bursa) becomes irritated, infected or inflamed.  The bursa is a fluid-filled sac located around the joint and acts as shock absorbers that lessen the friction between different tissues, like the tendons and muscles around the joints.  There are two primary bursas, one located above the kneecap, and one just below it, near the front of the tibia bone. 

Tears of the Meniscus – May occur due to damage to the inside of the knee.  The medial and lateral menisci are semi-round, articular cartilage that function as shock absorbers and smooth cushions for the thigh bone. These menisci may be injured acutely or may become dysfunctional gradually over time because of aging or over usage. 

Dislocation of the Knee Joint – they result from high-impact, large force injuries such as those seen in sports and accidents.  It is a rare injury but causes severe damage to all the anatomical components including damage to the nerves and blood vessels that surround it. It requires emergency treatment or surgery.  The kneecap may dislocate to the side of the knee.  It can be quite painful but is generally not considered to be a life-threatening condition. It is usually treated by popping it back into place, splinting and physical therapy. 

Fractures — this occurs from direct blows to the bones.  Patella or kneecap fractures happen when a person falls directly down and results to kneecaps cracking because of the immense amount of force. Collapse of the top of the tibia bone (tibia plateau fracture) may happen from sudden compression injury most especially in people with osteoporosis. 

Overuse Injuries – This include patellofemoral pain syndrome (known commonly as “runner’s knee”), it causes pain on the front and results to weakness and degeneration of the cartilage under the kneecap. The injury is a result of the repetitive damage to the structures over time. Congenital issues of incorrect mechanics of the knee movement can result to this. 

Outlook  

Not all knee injuries are serious however, the serious ones can lead to increasing pain, joint damage and disability if left alone.  Having an injury, even a minor one at that can increase the chances of having similar injuries in the future.