Knee Ligament Injuries and Other Common Knee Injuries – Knee Injury Diagnosis
Some of the symptoms of common knee injuries are swelling, soreness and stiffness. I’m sure most of us have experienced one or more of these symptoms. Knee injury diagnosos should be left to the professionals. If you suffer from any sort of knee pain do not try to diagnose it yourself but see your doctor.
Why are our knees so prone to injury especially to knee ligament injuries?
Knees are prone to injury for several reasons: they are extremely complicated being made up of tendons, cartilage, bone and ligaments, they take a lot pounding by our body and by what we do. They are load bearing and are subject to damage from falls and knocks.
Some of the symptoms and causes of the more common knee injuries are listed below.
Symptom: The knee is swollen, sore to touch and painful when moved.
Cause: Possible torn cartilage or torn ligaments or the ligament or cartilage under the knee cap has softened.
Symptom: Acute pain at the back of the knee and it hurts to stretch your leg.
Cause: Possible torn hamstring.
Symptom: The knee is sore all the time, the knee joint is hard to move and the knee is unstable when weight is put on it.
Cause: Possible torn meniscus. The meniscus is the cushioning cartilage at the ends of the bones in the knee joint.
Symptom: A dull ache in the knee accompanied by swelling.
Cause: Possible damage to the articular cartilage. Sometimes this is caused by a bodily injury or plain old wear and tear.
Symptom: Instability of the knee which may tend to give way when weight is placed on it, the knee makes a "popping" sound, swelling of the knee and soreness when standing that may actually prevent you from doing so.
Cause: Possible anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. ACL knee injury is more common. Out of interest, this is the common injury we hear a lot about in dogs.
Symptom: The knee changes in shape.
Cause: Possible fracture inside the knee or torn ligaments.
Symptom: Swelling of the knee, pain in the knee joint, the knee is unstable when weight is put on it and reduced mobility.
Cause: Hyperextension of the knee joint. A common injury in many sports that involve jumping and turning where the knee joint is forced to extend past it’s usual straightened position. This can occur due to heavy bodily contact or simply by landing awkwardly.
Symptom: Long term pain, stiffness and swelling of the knee joint. These symptoms are often worse in the colder months.
Cause: Possible osteoarthritis.
Symptom: Swelling at the back of the knee.
Cause: Possible Bakers Cyst.
Symptom: Soreness and swelling and the kneecap is painful to touch and you are aged somewhere between 12 and 18 years.
Cause: Possible Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Many males are affected by this when they have growth spurts in their teenage years.
Symptom: Acute pain between the shinbone and the kneecap when participating in strenuous activities like running or jumping with the pain persisting after the activity.
Cause: Possible Tendinitis, an injury to the tendon that joins the kneecap to the shinbone and usually caused by excessive strenuous activities.
Symptom: Pain in the knee and a grinding feeling when the knee joint is moved. The knee sometimes locks up.
Cause: Possible torn cartilage.
Although these are quite common knee injuries, it does not mean they should be ignored. If you suffer from any of these symtoms then I recommend you consult your medical practitioner to get treatment for knee pain.
Young Athletes Most at Risk of Knee Injuries
Pick an Option: the Prospect of Months on Crutches and a Season on the Sidelines, Versus Taking 10 Minutes to Do a Short, Simple, Structured Warm Up. for Athletes, Particularly School-aged Athletes, the Choice Should be Clear.
Structured warm-ups benefit young athletes at knee injury risk
Insights from a Orthopedic Surgeon with 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of knee injuries and disease, answers to FAQs, and occasional insights into the practice of medicine and gratification of patient care.
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