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Types of Knee Injuries and symptoms

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:18:08 +0000

Types of Knee Injuries
Now that you know all about its working parts, you probably realize that there are a bunch of ways to injure a knee. Common causes for injuries are overuse (from repetitive motions, like in many sports), sudden stops or twists, or direct blows to the knee.

Here are some of the more common injuries:

Sprains
A sprain means you’ve stretched or torn a ligament. Common knee sprains usually involve damage to the ACL and/or MCL. The most serious sprains involve complete tears of one or more of the knee ligaments. Symptoms of knee sprains include:

a popping or snapping sound in the knee at the time of injury
pain that seems to come from within the knee, especially with movement
not being able to put any weight on that leg
swelling
fluid behind the kneecap
the knee feels loose or unstable or gives way
Strains
A strain means you’ve partially or completely torn a muscle or tendon. With knee strains, you may feel symptoms similar to a sprain and may see bruises around the injured area.

Tendinitis
Tendinitis happens when a tendon gets irritated or inflamed. It is often caused by overuse. A person with tendinitis might have pain or tenderness when walking, or when bending, extending, or lifting a leg.

Meniscal Tears
Damage to the menisci is a really common sports injury, especially in sports where sudden changes in speed or side-to-side movements can cause them to tear. Meniscal injuries often occur together with severe sprains, especially those involving the ACL.

Meniscal injuries can cause tenderness, tightness, and swelling around the front of the knee. Sometimes fluid collects around the knee (this is called effusion).

Fractures and Dislocations
A fracture is a cracked, broken, or shattered bone and is usually diagnosed by an X-ray. You may have trouble moving that bone and it’s likely there’s a lot of pain. Patellar dislocation happens when the patella (the kneecap) is knocked off to the side of the knee joint by twisting or some kind of impact. Sometimes it will go back to its normal position by itself, but usually it will need to be put back into place by a doctor.

Symptoms include swelling and a lot of pain at the front of your knee. There will usually be an abnormal bulge on the side of your knee, and you may be unable to walk.

Cartilage Injuries
Sometimes a small piece of bone or cartilage softens or breaks off from the end of a bone, causing long-term knee pain. This is called osteochondritis dessicans (OCD). Symptoms of OCD include pain, swelling, an inability to extend the leg, and stiffness, catching, or popping sensations with knee movement. Treatment can include resting the knee, wearing a cast for a couple of months, and sometimes surgery in older teens.

Chondromalacia happens when the cartilage in the knee joint softens because of injury, muscle weakness, or overuse, and the patella and the thighbone may rub together. This causes pain and aching, especially when a person walks up stairs or hills. Treatment may involve surgery.

Symptoms
The symptoms are different for the different forms of arthritis. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or other inflammatory conditions may find the knee swollen, red, and even hot to the touch. Any form of arthritis can cause the knee to be painful and stiff.

Pain and swelling of the knee results from knee injury. The knee joint may become unstable and make popping or snapping sounds that are generally accompanied by pain.

The knee joint can lock up. A traumatic event can produce intense knee pain. If the knee does not function properly, seek emergency medical help.

Causes of knee pain and Symptoms

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:03:36 +0000

The knees are the most easily injured part of the body. The largest and most complicated joint, the knee is used for everything from standing up, sitting, to walking, running, etc. It’s a weight-bearing joint that straightens, bends, twists and rotates. All this motion increases your risk of acute or overuse knee injuries.

Knee pain is incredibly common. In the United States, it’s responsible for about 1/3 of all doctor’s visits for muscle and bone pain. Knee pain is a special problem for athletes — over half of all athletes endure it every year.

Some of the most common reasons for knee pain are swollen or torn ligaments, meniscus (cartilage) tears, and runner’s knee. But the knee is a complex joint, and there’s plenty more that can go wrong.

Other conditions that cause knee pain are:

Bone chips. Sometimes, a knee injury can break off fragments from the bone or cartilage. These pieces can get stuck in the joint, causing it to freeze up. You may also have pain and swelling.
Bursitis. A bursa is a sac of fluid that cushions and protects your joints. There are several in different parts of your knee. Overuse, a fall, or repeated bending can irritate the bursa, causing pain and swelling. Two types of bursitis are called ”housemaid’s knee” and ”preacher’s knee,” since they are often caused by kneeling. A ”Baker’s cyst” — a swelling of one of the bursa in the knee — can also result from injuries and from conditions like arthritis.
Iliotibial band syndrome. The iliotibial band is a piece of tough tissue that runs from your hip down to your shin. If it’s irritated by overuse or other problems, it can get swollen and cause pain on the outside of the knee.
Medial plica syndrome. The plica is a fold of tissue in the knee joint. When it gets irritated from overuse, swelling and knee pain can result.
Osgood- Schlatter Disease. This condition causes a painful bump below the knee, where a tendon from the kneecap connects to the shin. It’s usually caused by overuse and irritation of the tendon. The pain may come and go over time. It’s especially common in teenage boys and girls (13 and 14 years of age).
Osteoarthritis. This condition is a frequent cause of knee pain in athletes and non-athletes alike who are over 60.
Partially dislocated kneecap (or patellar subluxation). In this condition, the kneecap slides out of position, causing knee pain and swelling. It’s often the result of physical defect in your legs, rather than an injury. It’s particularly common in teenage girls.
Tendonitis, or swelling of the tendons. Tendons are tough bands of tissue that connect your bones and muscles. Overuse can make the tendons inflamed and sore. One type of knee tendonitis is called ”jumper’s knee.”
If an old knee injury was not properly treated, it may keep causing occasional — or constant — knee pain.

Research Knee pain in combination with other symptoms: Knee pain and other symptoms
Pairs of Symptoms: The list below shows all pairs of co-occurring symptoms for Knee pain for which we have cause information in our database. Each symptom link shows a list of diseases or conditions that have both symptoms. You can also select additional symptoms for more specificity.
Some of the more common knee injuries and their signs and symptoms include the following:
Ligament injuries. Tendon injuries (tendinitis). Meniscus injuries. Bursitis. Loose body. Dislocated kneecap. Osgood-Schlatter disease. Iliotibial band syndrome. Hyperextended knee. Septic arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis. Gout and pseudogout. Chondromalacia of the patella, or patellofemoral pain.

Running knee pain and how can i treat it?

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:18:50 +0000

If you have a knee pain when you running, you may have a look at this article:
There are numerous causes of knee pain, for a runner, it’s commonly caused by either a slightly misaligned hip bone that is throwing your gait off a bit resulting in extra stress on the knee or a weak hip/thigh muscle that is not properly stabilizing the hip during running that results in extra stress to the knee. In both cases, you may consult with a sports physician to locate what is causing the problem and the doc can refer you to a physical therapist so you can isolate and work on the offending area.
When you feel your knee pain, have it checked out by an Orthopaedist or Physical Threapist. The condition that causes the pain is still there. It could be anything – Patello-femoral syndrome, osteoarthitis, et. al). Only your doctor can know for sure then you will know what to do for it.