COMMON SPORTING KNEE INJURIES
Knee injuries are very common when partaking in many types of different sports, especially where there is twisting in the knee, ranging from contact sports such as football and rugby to running, dancing to name but a few. Injuries sustained may be bone, soft tissue, ligament, tendon or cartilage in nature and may be due to specific damage to the tissue or an imbalance in the muscles in the area. Many knee injuries can cause instability in the knee.
Sprains and strains are the most common type of sport injury. A sprain happens when one or more of the ligaments are stretched, twisted or torn. Common ligaments to injure in the knee are the anterior cruciate ligament, medial and lateral collateral ligaments and they may be in isolation or combined.
Injuries to the meniscus, cartilage, of which there is one on the inner and outer part of the knee, are common following a twisting movement. The menisci act as shock absorbers to dissipate the force within the knee and work well on compression and loading of the knee. Tears in the meniscus generally do not heal due to the lack in blood supply and often need an arthroscopy to remove the torn fragment. Symptoms can include pain, reduced movement in the knee with occasional locking of the joint and a reduction in function.
A strain occurs when muscle fibres or tissues are stretched or torn. Symptoms of both can include pain, swelling, bruising and tenderness around the joint or in the muscle.
Sometimes an imbalance in the muscles and soft tissue surrounding the knee can predispose to anterior knee pain. The knee cap sits over the front of the knee joint and it glides over the bones as you bend or straighten the knee. If the knee cap does not move properly and rubs against the lower part of the thigh bone pain may arise. This can happen if the knee cap is in poor alignment or if it is pulled into an abnormal position due to a tightness and or weakness of the surrounding tendons and muscles.
Physiotherapy can be of great benefit in the treatment of knee pain. Following a thorough assessment, where a diagnosis is hopefully reached, an individual treatment plan can be drawn up. It may include soft tissue massage and a progressive rehabilitation programme of stretches and strengthening exercises.
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