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The Most Common Knee Injuries

knee injuries

Many runners, dancers and athletes experience different types of knee injuries during the course of their career but even those who do not work in athletic careers are at risk of having a knee injury. Knee injuries can happen in a variety of ways including playing sports, exercising or accidents. Below is a listing of the four most common types of knee injuries that people receive.

ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is a knee injury that would occur in the center of the knee and is the most common knee injury among people who play sports. This type of injury can be caused by quickly changing direction or landing from a jump both of which cause the ligament to twist and become injured.
MCL or Medial Cruciate Ligament injuries are often caused by a direct hit to the outside of the kneecap. These ligaments are found in the inner part of the knee and are the least common type of injury among these four.
• PCL or Posterior Cruciate Ligament injuries are those that occur in the rear potion of the knee. They are most likely to be caused by a direct blow to the front of the knee or a fall on the playing field.
• Torn cartilage to the meniscus cartilage, which is a tough, rubber-like cartilage that works like a shock absorber. These knee injuries can be caused by twisting, pivoting or being tackled just to name a few.

Some knee injury symptoms include hearing a popping noise, severe pain, swelling, limping or being unable to move the knee. If any of these symptoms appear, a doctor should be seen so that he can evaluate the knee. The doctor will examine the knee thoroughly and take a complete history of the patient and find out where the pain is and how it happened before he will make a knee injury diagnosis. If the doctor suspects a serious knee injury he may order x-rays, an MRI or a CT scan.

If a knee injury occurs there are some immediate remedies that can be done to reduce that pain and swelling. These include resting the knee by not walking on it and relieving some of the pressure. Ice should be immediately applied to help reduce any type of swelling to the area. The knee should also be elevated for a fair amount of time to help reduce pain and swelling. Ibuprofen or pain relief medicine prescribed by the doctor can be used if needed. For more severe knee injuries the best type of knee injury treatment may be surgery.

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