Knee ligament sprain

A knee sprain can occur when the ligaments are overused, such as during sports or a bad fall. Sprains can range in severity from a mild strain to a complete tear of the knee ligament.

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Causes and Risk Factors of Knee Sprains

The most common sprain is the medial collateral ligament (MCL). This ligament can be injured by a blow to the outside of the knee, especially if your foot was on the ground when it was hit. The blow causes the knee to move toward the inside of the body and stretches the ligament. You will feel severe pain on the inside of the knee. Anything more than minimal pain should be treated by a traumatologist.

A sprain on the outside of the knee, the lateral collateral ligament, is caused by a blow to the inside of the knee that causes the knee to bulge outward. This is much less common than a CL sprain because it is difficult to hit the inside of the knee. Typically, the other leg gets in the way of the blow and takes it.

Sports injuries or injuries to a person who plays professional sports are usually the cause of knee injuries. Sports that involve sudden acceleration and deceleration, such as basketball, football, field hockey, soccer, skiing, are often associated with ACL injuries - the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. However, such injuries can occur in any sport if the knee is forced to move a lot.

A person may even have disability and pain and often swelling, which sometimes appears as soon as 1 to 4 hours after the injury. However, the immediate inability to move cannot yet tell what the degree and severity of this or that type of injury is. Patients can tell the doctor that the knee has become unstable, cannot move, hurts.

Here's a good rule of thumb for these injuries: If you get hit in the knee and feel pain on the side of the knee that was hit, it's probably just a bruise and the pain will go away quickly. If the pain is on the opposite side of the knee from the one that was hit, it's considered a serious injury that needs careful treatment.

Degrees of stretching

Mild, or grade 1, is when the ligaments are simply stretched, causing knee pain and swelling. Moderate, or grade 2, is when the ligaments are partially stretched and other organs are disabled. Severe, or grade 3, is when the ligaments are completely torn, requiring surgery.

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What are knee ligament sprains?

Most knee ligament injuries involve a tear of either the medial collateral ligament (MCL) on the inside of the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deep inside the joint, or both. Sprains of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) are much less likely than the ACL.

Treatment of knee sprain

Surgery is necessary for patients who fall into high or moderate risk categories due to work, leisure, and/or increased athletic demands. Surgery may be considered for patients who are not in the high-risk category but who experience symptoms of knee pain during daily activities, such as walking on uneven surfaces and performing simple exercises.

Before surgery, it is necessary to establish whether there is full range of motion in the knee. If there is significant atrophy of the quadriceps and hamstrings, a period of intensive training should be instituted prior to surgery.

It is not uncommon for patients with ACL knee injuries to have doctors perform several procedures to remove cartilage fragments before surgery. With the loss of these secondary restraints, the knee becomes increasingly unstable, and the patient may be a candidate for revision surgery based on overall knee instability. Physical therapy can help improve the balance of the knee.

Rehabilitation

If the knee sprain is a soft injury (we've already covered this), early recovery programs with stationary cycling and leg extensions are all that's needed. Start with 20 minutes of cycling on a stationary bike.

The range of motion is minimal. There is no need to put a lot of resistance on the exercise bike, now you are just interested in improving the quality of your knee movements. At the very beginning, just pedal forward and backward.

Leg extensions while sitting on a bench or table. When you lift the weight of your leg, hold it there for three seconds, and then lower your leg very slowly. Focus on the slow downward movement, which is the most important part of the knee lift-lower.

When you contract a muscle with weight, the muscle lengthens. Do this exercise five times and rest for 30 seconds or more if needed after each set.

The goal of these exercises is to strengthen the quadriceps (leg extension) and the hamstrings (leg curl). These muscles control the knee and need to be mobile.

If you have problems with leg extension, that is, if your range of motion is too limited or it is too painful for you, train the quadriceps first, but after rest.

What Questions to Ask Your Doctor About a Knee Sprain

• What type of strain is this and how serious is it?
• What treatment would you recommend?
• What rehabilitation programs do you recommend?
• Will surgery be recommended?
• Can conservative treatment be used?

Treatment of knee sprains

Knee joint support

First of all, the knee joint needs rest. Then, a few days after the injury will include rehabilitation of the knee joints and ligaments. This is a rehabilitation program that includes: restoration of damaged ligaments and joints, strengthening exercises for ligaments, massage and bandaging. This can take from a few weeks to 5-6 months. This time will be enough for a person to return to their previous activities after a knee injury.

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Knee brace

The application of this bandage involves the following steps.

• Knee rest
• Ice packs
• A bandage that fixes the position of the knee
• You need to elevate your knee to reduce swelling and puffiness.

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Knee joint massage on your own

First, the knee needs to rest so that the pain decreases. Movements should be minimal, and they should be the lightest for several days after the injury. Swelling will decrease significantly if a person rests more. When the pain has become minimal, you can do a small warm-up, gradually increasing the range of motion. If pain does not occur, the load can be increased, but also gradually.

Ice compresses

Ice helps blood vessels to narrow, which significantly reduces inflammation. Pain subsides. Redness of the knee becomes much less, and then disappears completely. Ice can be wrapped in a towel to prevent water from flowing onto the affected leg. You cannot sleep with a compress, so as not to cause frostbite. You need to apply ice for 15 minutes, then remove, rest for 5 minutes, and then apply a cold compress again.

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Bandage

To fix the joint in a stable position, you need a bandage. An elastic bandage will help with this. This will help to avoid unnecessary movements of the joint while it is recovering from the injury. To regulate the position of the knee. You can loosen or tighten the elastic bandage. It should not be so tight that the knee goes numb. The elastic bandage should be changed once a day so that the position of the leg is comfortable.

To prevent swelling of the knee, you need to place your leg so that the knee is higher than the heart. This will reduce swelling and edema.

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Drugs against inflammation of knee ligaments

These can be ketanov, diflofenac, ibuprofen - these drugs will reduce pain. They can be used without a doctor's prescription, unless you are allergic to these medications. They will help reduce pain and inflammation in the injured knee.