Knee Ligament Injury And What They Can Cause

Overview

Your knee is a vital human body part that can withstand a lot of punishment during sports or run. Often than not, these activities result in injuries that affect the knee ligament.

Footballers, runners, badminton players, gymnasts, and sports lovers are prone to knee injuries.

The anatomy of knee

Ligaments are tough connective tissues that connect all the bones in your body. There are four ligaments that cannot your knee to other bones in your body. They are

  1. Anterior cruciate ligament
  1. Posterior cruciate ligament
  1. Lateral collateral ligament
  1. Medial collateral ligament

The two most essential ligaments in your knee are the ACL and the PCL. ACL and the PCL connect the bones in your thing with those in your lower leg. They are prone to injuries when stressed during sports or running activities. In fact, they can snap or become overstretched when exposed to overwhelming stress. Most of the injuries to the knee during sports affect the ACL.

The ACL and PCL are very important ligaments in your knee. They connect the bones in your thigh and shin together. In fact, injuries to the ACL and PCL are a major root of knee disability in men and women alike.

The LCL is the ligament that connects your thigh bone to the smaller bone in your lower leg called the Fibula.

The MCL is the ligament that connects the bone in your thin to that on the inside of your shin.

These four ligaments that help keep your knee in shape can get injured due to many factors. In fact, they are prone to both minor and severe knee ligament injuries.

Causes of knee ligament injuries

Frequent twisting or hitting of your knee can result in knee ligament injuries. In fact, you are prone to a knee injury when you jump and land with your knee in a bent position. More so, a sudden stop during running activities can result in serious knee ligament injury. The sudden shifting of weight from one of your legs to the other can result in a knee injury. So, you must be careful in all you do to avoid knee ligament injuries.

What knee ligament injuries can cause

Knee ligament injuries are some of the occasionally difficult injuries to diagnose in the medical field. But the possibility to know you have suffered an injury is high due to immediate changes in your knee. Knee ligament injuries can lead to the following;

  • Sudden and severe pain in your knee
  • Sudden feel of looseness in the knee joint
  • Sudden snap of the knee
  • A loud pop sound emanating from the knee
  • Swollen knew with a sudden buildup of blood in the knee
  • Total discomfort of the knee and leg

Knee ligament injuries require immediate treatment. If not treated, they can result in a major disability that can result in restricted movement. In fact, if you do not treat knee ligament injuries, over time your knee can give out if twisted. Thus, leads to a severe case of knee injury

Most times, these injuries are so severe that they result in a ruptured knee. In such situations, there is the need to visit the emergency department right away.

Severe cases of injury to the LCL and MCL can lead to knee surgery. This surgery will help reattach the injured ligament to the right bone. Knee surgery can repair a torn LCL and MCL ligament.

Surgery cannot repair the two most important knee ligaments in your body. Cases of severe ACL and PCL injuries can lead to a complete reconstruction of these ligaments. Although this complicated process, it can help to remedy the situation.

For sportsmen and women, a knee ligament injury can keep you out of sports for months.

For more information, contact KUER Physio Harley Street, London.