Common knee injury types and their treatments
Understanding Knee injury
The knee joint, one of the body’s largest and most complex joints, supports body weight and facilitates movement.
The shin and thigh bones are connected by the knee, allow for bending, and play a vital role in daily activities. However, its complexity makes it susceptible to various injuries, including sprains, ligament tears, fractures, and dislocations. These knee injuries can significantly impact mobility and quality of life, ranging from acute trauma to chronic conditions affecting ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bones.
Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and limited range of motion. Healthcare professionals and individuals need a comprehensive understanding of knee injuries for timely intervention.
Depending on the type of knee injury, treatment approaches vary and can include conservative measures, physical therapy, or surgical intervention. Recognizing knee injury types and symptoms is crucial for effective management.
Knee injury types
Types of knee injuries include:
Fractures:
Fractures around the knee, particularly of the patella, are common and often result from high-impact falls or sports injuries. The patella is a protective shield for the knee joint, making it susceptible to damage during accidents. In addition to kneecap fractures, the femur ends and tibia at the knee joint can also be affected, often due to high-energy trauma like falls from heights or motor vehicle collisions.
Knee dislocation:
Knee dislocations, where the knee bones are displaced, result from major traumas like falls, car crashes, or forceful twisting with one foot anchored. This misalignment can involve the femur, tibia, or patella. While high-energy traumas commonly cause dislocations in individuals with normal knee structure, abnormalities in knee structure can also contribute to dislocations. Relocation is necessary to address dislocations, and they often require prompt attention and intervention.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries:
ACL injuries are one of the most common knee injuries, constituting around 40 percent of sports-related injuries. The ACL, a crucial knee ligament for stability, can tear when the lower leg extends too far forward or undergoes twisting. Injuries range from minor tears to severe cases where the ligament completely tears or detaches from the bone.
Sports activities, especially those involving cutting and pivoting, like soccer, football, and basketball, often lead to ACL injuries. Rapid changes in direction or improper landing from jumps are common causes. Approximately half of ACL injuries involve damage to other knee structures, such as articular cartilage, meniscus, or other ligaments.
Also Read: Who needs to have meniscus tear surgery?
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL):
PCL injuries involve trauma to the ligament, which connects the femur to the shinbone, preventing excessive backward movement of the shinbone. Typically located at the back of the knee, PCL injuries occur when the knee experiences trauma, such as landing on a bent knee in sports.
Commonly caused by a blow to the front of the bent knee, PCL injuries are prevalent in motor vehicle crashes and sports-related contact. Unlike complete tears, PCL tears are often partial and may have the potential to heal on their own.
Collateral Ligament Injuries:
These injuries involve damage to one of the four major ligaments in the knee and are commonly associated with sports-related incidents. These injuries often occur when a force pushes the knee sideways, leading to tears in the collateral ligaments.
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries typically result from a direct blow to the outside of the knee, while lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries, less frequent, happen when the knee is pushed outward from blows to its inside. Contact injuries are a common cause of collateral ligament injuries, with the MCL being more commonly affected than the LCL.
Meniscal tears:
These are frequent injuries involving the cartilage in the knee joint that absorbs shock and stabilizes the joint. Common in sports like volleyball, soccer, and football, these tears often result from sudden changes in direction, cutting, pivoting, or tackles.
Acute tears are prevalent during sports activities. Additionally, meniscal tears can be caused by arthritis or aging, with even simple movements like getting up from a chair potentially leading to tears, particularly if the menisci have weakened with age.
Tendon tears:
Tendon tears, particularly in the patellar tendon, are common injuries when the tendon, working with knee muscles, is overstretched or torn. While such tears are more prevalent in middle-aged individuals engaged in running or jumping sports, they can happen to anyone.
Causes include direct force to the front of the knee, falls, and awkward landings from jumps. The patellar and quadriceps tendons are susceptible to injury, and tears are more commonly observed in those participating in specific activities or experiencing traumatic events.
Bursitis:
The inflammation of small fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which act as cushions between bones and soft tissues in the knee, is called Bursitis. These sacs reduce friction and promote smooth movement between structures like muscles, tendons, and skin.
When a bursa becomes inflamed, it results in pain and discomfort. Bursitis commonly occurs due to inflammation in these sacs, impacting their ability to facilitate smooth movement and causing discomfort in the affected area.
Plica syndrome, or medial plica syndrome:
Inflammation of the synovial plica in the knee and irritation are characteristic of this condition.
The knee joint contains folds of synovial tissue called plicae, remnants from fetal knee development. Typically, these plicae cause no problems and are absorbed during growth.
However, in some instances, a plica may not fully absorb, leading to inflammation and discomfort in the knee. Plica syndrome results from the thickening or folding of knee ligaments, causing pain due to the inflamed synovial plica.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
It is commonly known as a runner’s knee and is a prevalent condition characterized by pain around or behind the kneecap. It is often caused by overuse, injury, excess weight, or issues with the kneecap’s movement during activities like running, jumping, or climbing stairs.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome affects individuals of various ages and activity levels, and it stems from the patella not moving smoothly in its groove during knee flexion and extension, resulting in irritation and pain.
Also Read: What are the Causes of Knee Pain When Bending?
Treatment for knee injuries
Knee injury treatments include:
Rest: Weight should not be put on a painful knee.
Ice packs: Using cold packs in intervals for 20 minutes a day can give relief.
Compression: The injured site should be lightly wrapped with soft bandages or ace wrap.
Elevation: The injured leg is elevated while resting to reduce swelling.
Immobilization: A cast or brace is recommended for the fractured bone to hold the bones in place during healing.
Physical therapy: Specific exercises restore function to the knee and it also strengthens the leg muscles that support it.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and naproxen help reduce pain and swelling.
Knee Arthroscopy: Knee arthroscopy is done for many ACL tears in which small cameras (arthroscope) and specialized instruments with small incisions are used for diagnosing and treatment.
Open surgery: For getting a more direct view and easy access to injured anatomy, open surgery with large incisions for severe fractures is required.
When Tendon Tears, Meniscal Tears, and Collateral Ligament Injuries are severe, surgery is also required.
Relocation: The dislocated knee requires relocation. Without causing too much discomfort, the doctor relocates the knee.
Consult Dr. Muthana Sartawi for knee injury treatment in Dubai
Dr. Muthana Sartawi is the best orthopedic surgeon in Dubai. Dr Muthana devises minimally invasive surgeries for most knee injury treatments in Dubai, which are also same-day surgeries in many cases, and patients recover and go home the same day.
To know more about knee injury treatment or orthopedic ailments in general, you may book an appointment with Dr. Muthana Sartawi.
