What is the danger of pain in the knee and what to do about it

Pain in the knee can be caused by sudden trauma, excessive damage or a major chronic illness, such as arthritis. The treatment of pain in the knee depends on the cause. Symptoms of a knee injury may include pain, swelling and knee stiffness.

Read also:

• Swollen knee joints (swollen knee)
• Pain in the knee joint
• Pain in the knee
• Pain in the knee when walking

What kind of trauma can lead to pain in the knees?

Trauma can affect any of the ligaments, bags, or tendons surrounding the knee joint. Trauma can also affect the ligaments, cartilage, menisci and bones that form the joint. The difficulty of working the knee joint is that it can very easily be injured when it falls on the knee or strikes it.

Injuries to knee ligaments

Trauma can cause damage to the ligaments on the inside of the knee (medial collateral ligament), the outer part of the knee (lateral ligaments) or in the knee itself (cruciate ligaments). Injuries to these areas lead to severe and severe pain, which is difficult to determine by degree of localization. As a rule, ligament damage is felt on the inner or outer part of the knee. Damage to the ligament can often be determined if it is painful to touch a damaged area.

Pain due to damage to the cruciate ligament is felt deep in the knee. The knee after a ligament injury is usually painful even at rest, the leg can be swollen and hot. Pain, as a rule, is aggravated when you bend your knee, keep your knee on weight or just walk.

The severity of a knee injury can range from mild degree (minor stretching or tearing of the bundle of fibers, this is a low degree of stretching) to severe (inflammation and rupture of nerve fibers). Patients can damage several areas of the body as a result of one severe injury.

After a trauma to the ligaments, it is advisable to protect the leg from movements, apply ice to the affected area, keep the knee above the breast level. So you fight with swelling and swelling. At first, as a rule, crutches for walking may be required. Some patients are in the tire or plaster to immobilize the knee, reduce the pain - and this promotes healing.

To restore the knee after severe injuries, arthroscopic or open surgery may be required.

Surgical treatment of knee ligament

It can entail suturing, grafting and prosthesis. The solution for performing various types of surgical intervention depends on the level of damage to the ligaments and the patient's desire. Many removal of knee injuries can be done arthroscopically. However, some serious injuries require open surgical intervention. Reconstruction of the cruciate ligament of the knee is becoming more successful due to experienced surgeons.

Rupture of the knee joint meniscus

The meniscus can be torn due to transverse rotation vectors, which are used during sharp, rapid knee movements. This is especially common in sports and requires a quick reaction of the body. There is a higher level of damage to the meniscus due to aging and destruction of the underlying cartilage. More than one rupture can occur in separate parts of the meniscus. A patient with a meniscus rupture can be immobilized immediately. Sometimes it is associated with swelling and inflammation in the knee.

More often it is associated with blocking sensations in the knee joint. The doctor can make certain maneuvers during the examination of the knee, which can give him additional information about whether there is a meniscus rupture.

X-ray effect

Conventional X-rays can not show the present position of the meniscus, but X-rays can be used to rule out other problems of the knee joint. Meniscus can be diagnosed in one of three ways: arthroscopy, arthrography or MRI. Arthroscopy is a surgical technique whereby small video cameras with small diameter are inserted through tiny incisions along the sides of the knee. This is done in order to study and restore the internal knee joint. These tiny instruments can be used during arthroscopy to restore the meniscus.

Arthrography

It is one of the techniques of radiology, in which liquid is injected directly into the knee joint and its internal structures. In this way they become visible under X-rays. There is also an MRI - magnetic resonance imaging - or other diagnostic technique by which magnetic fields and computer power are combined to produce two- or three-dimensional images of the internal structures of the knee. MRI does not use X-rays, and can provide accurate information about the internal structures of the knee joint without surgical intervention. Menisci are often seen when using magnetic resonance imaging. MRI largely replaced arthrography in the diagnosis of the knee joint meniscus. Meniscus, as a rule, can be restored arthroscopically.

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Tendonitis of the knee

Tendonitis of the knee is expressed in the anterior part of the knee below the knee cap by tearing or stretching the patellar ligament (tendon of the patella), or in the posterior part of the knee by rupturing or stretching the hamstrings (tendonitis popliteal). Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendons, which often arises from jumps that cause strain of the tendon. It is also called the "knee of the jumper".

Fractures of the knee

A fracture of any of the three bones of the knee joint may occur as a result of road traffic accidents or the consequences of strikes. A fracture of the bone, a fracture in the knee joint can be serious injuries and require surgical intervention, as well as immobilization, and then crutches.

What diseases and conditions can cause pain in the knee?

Pain in the knee can occur due to diseases or conditions that are associated with injuries to knee joints, soft tissues and bones surrounding the knee, or inflammation of the nerves that provide sensitivity in the knee region. The condition of the knee joint is usually affected by rheumatic diseases, the course of immune diseases. They affect various tissues of the body, including the joints.

Arthritis is associated with pain and swelling of the joints.

The causes of pain in knee joints and swelling come from a non-inflammatory type of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, which is a degeneration of the cartilage of the knee joint.

The causes of pain in the knee are also related to inflammatory types of arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout). Treatment of arthritis depends on the nature of the specific type of arthritis.

Infections of bones or joints can rarely be a serious cause of knee pain, symptoms include fever, severe fever, joint inflammation, chills, and may be associated with stab wounds near the knee.

A rupture of the ligament on the inner side of the knee joint can cause pain in the knee. Under this condition, the knee can be inflamed and needs conservative treatment with ice, immobilization and rest. In rare cases, local injections of corticosteroids will be required.

Chondromalacia - that is, softening the cartilage under the patella. This is a common cause of deep knee pain and in young women and can be associated with pain after falling from a height or sitting for a long time in one position, for example when working at a computer. Here you need treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs, you need to apply packets of ice. And long-term care is achieved through exercises to strengthen the muscles of the front surface of the thigh.

Bursitis of the knee joint is usually localized on the inner side of the knee (the so-called goose bursitis) and the anterior part of the knee cap (bursitis of the knee joint or "knee of the maid.") Bursitis is usually treated with ice, immobilization and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or aspirin.As a supplement, local injections of corticosteroids (cortisone medication) may be required.Therapeutic exercise will help develop the musculature of the front of the thigh.

What is the knee of and what is its role?

The knee consists of three parts. The femur (thigh) is the large bone of the lower leg (the tibia ), which form the basis of the knee joint. This combination of bones has an internal (medial) and an external (side) side. The patella is attached to the femur to form the third joint, it is called the patellofemoral joint.

The knee joint is surrounded by an articular capsule with ligaments inside and outside the joint (these are the so-called ligaments of the lien), and there is also a transition to the joint (these are cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide stability and strength of movements of the knee joint.

Meniscus is a thickening of the cartilage area between the two joints formed by the hip and shin.

The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs, called bags, they serve to slip the joint about the joint, reduce the friction of the tendons. There is a large tendon (patella ligaments), which is associated with the patella and the anterior part of the shin bones. There are large blood vessels passing through this site under the knee (called the popliteal space).

The large muscles of the hip move due to the movement of the knee. In front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscle widens to straighten the knee joint, when the patellar ligaments extend. In the back of the thigh, the hamstrings tend to flex the muscles, the knee bends. The knee can slightly rotate under the direction of some hip muscles.

The role of the knee

The knee performs functions that allow you to make leg movements and are critical to normal walking. The knee bends usually no more than 35 degrees and can perform a bend to 0 degrees. Bags, or liquid-filled bags, serve to slip over the surface of the tendon to reduce the frictional force when moving joints and tendons. Each meniscus serves for a uniform load on the knee, as well as for the production of joint fluid for joint lubrication.

When to see a doctor for pain in the knee

Make an appointment with a doctor if the pain does not go away after two weeks of home treatment, if the knee becomes hot, or if you have fever, and also painful, swollen knees.

If you seek medical help, the doctor will examine the knee and can do an x-ray or other imaging techniques. Medical procedures may include taking anti-inflammatory drugs, draining fluids that have accumulated in the knee, physiotherapy, crutches or braces, or surgical intervention.