What are the dangers of knee pain and what to do about it

Knee pain can be caused by a sudden injury, overuse injury, or an underlying chronic condition such as arthritis. Treatment for knee pain depends on the cause. Symptoms of a knee injury may include pain, swelling, and stiffness in the knee.

Read also:

• Swollen knee joints (swollen knee)
• Knee joint pain
• Knee pain
• Knee pain when walking

What injuries can cause knee pain?

Trauma can affect any of the ligaments, bursae, or tendons that surround the knee joint. Trauma can also affect the ligaments, cartilage, menisci, and bones that make up the joint. The complexity of the knee joint is that it can be injured very easily by falling on the knee or by taking a blow to it.

Knee Ligament Injuries

Trauma can cause damage to the ligaments on the inside of the knee (medial collateral ligament), the outside of the knee (lateral ligaments), or in the knee itself (cruciate ligaments). Injuries to these areas cause severe, sharp pain that is difficult to determine by its location. Typically, ligament damage is felt on the inside or outside of the knee. Ligament damage can often be identified if the injured area is painful to the touch.

The pain from a cruciate ligament injury is felt deep in the knee. The knee after a cruciate ligament injury is usually painful even at rest, and the leg may be swollen and hot. The pain is usually worse when you bend the knee, hold the knee up, or just walk.

The severity of a knee injury can range from mild (minor sprains or tears in the ligament fibers, this is a low-grade sprain) to severe (inflammation and tearing of nerve fibers). Patients may injure multiple areas of the body as a result of one severe injury.

After a ligament injury, it is advisable to protect the leg from movement, apply ice to the affected area, keep the knee above chest level. This way you fight swelling and edema. At first, crutches for walking may be required. Some patients are in splints or plaster to immobilize the knee, reduce pain - and this promotes healing.

Arthroscopic or open surgery may be required to repair the knee after severe injuries.

Surgical treatment of knee ligaments

It may involve stitches, grafts, and prostheses. The decision to perform different types of surgery depends on the level of ligament damage and the patient's wishes. Many knee repairs can be done arthroscopically. However, some serious injuries require open surgery. ACL reconstructions are becoming more successful with experienced surgeons.

Meniscus tear of the knee joint

The meniscus can be torn due to the transverse rotation vectors that are applied during sharp, rapid movements of the knee. This is especially common in sports and requires a quick response from the body. There is a higher rate of damage to the meniscus due to aging and the breakdown of the underlying cartilage. More than one tear can occur in separate parts of the meniscus. A patient with a meniscus tear may be immobilized immediately. Sometimes this is associated with swelling and inflammation in the knee.

More often, it is associated with a blockage of sensation in the knee joint. The doctor may perform certain maneuvers during the examination of the knee, which can give him additional information about whether there is a meniscus tear.

X-ray effect

Regular x-rays may not show the true position of the meniscus, but x-rays can be used to rule out other knee problems. The meniscus can be diagnosed in one of three ways: arthroscopy, arthrography, or MRI. Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure in which small, small-diameter video cameras are inserted through tiny incisions on the sides of the knee. This is done to examine and repair the inside of the knee joint. These tiny instruments can be used during arthroscopy to repair the meniscus.

Arthrography

It is a radiology technique in which fluid is injected directly into the knee joint and its internal structures. This makes them visible under X-rays. There is also MRI - magnetic resonance imaging - or another diagnostic technique in 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 surgery. The menisci are often visible using magnetic resonance imaging. MRI has largely replaced arthrography in the diagnosis of knee meniscus. The meniscus can usually be repaired arthroscopically.

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Tendinitis of the knee

Knee tendinitis occurs in the front of the knee below the kneecap, with a tear or strain of the patellar tendon (patellar tendinitis), or in the back of the knee, with a tear or strain of the hamstrings (popliteal tendinitis). Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons, often caused by jumping, which causes strain on the tendon. It is also called "jumper's knee."

Knee fractures

A fracture of any of the three bones of the knee joint can occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident or the effects of a blow. A broken bone, a fracture in the knee joint can be a serious injury and require surgery, as well as immobilization and then crutches.

What diseases and conditions can cause knee pain?

Knee pain can be caused by diseases or conditions that involve injuries to the knee joints, soft tissues and bones surrounding the knee, or inflammation of the nerves that provide sensation in the knee area. Rheumatic diseases, the course of immune diseases usually affect the knee joint. They affect various tissues of the body, including the joints.

Arthritis is associated with pain and swelling in the joints.

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

Causes of knee pain also include inflammatory types of arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout). Treatment for arthritis depends on the nature of the specific type of arthritis.

Bone or joint infections can rarely be a serious cause of knee pain, symptoms include fever, high fever, joint inflammation, chills in the body, and may be associated with puncture wounds in the knee area.

A torn ligament on the inside of the knee joint can cause knee pain. In this condition, the knee may be inflamed and require conservative treatment with ice, immobilization, and rest. In rare cases, local corticosteroid injections may be needed.

Chondromalacia is a softening of the cartilage under the kneecap. It is a common cause of deep knee pain in young women and can be associated with pain after a fall from a height or sitting in one position for a long time, such as when working at a computer. It requires treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and ice packs. Long-term help is achieved through exercises to strengthen the muscles of the front of the thigh.

Bursitis of the knee joint is usually located on the inside of the knee (called anserine bursitis) and the front of the kneecap (patellar bursitis or "housemaid's knee"). Bursitis is usually treated with ice, immobilization, and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or aspirin. In addition, local corticosteroid injections (cortisone medications) may be needed. Physical therapy will help develop the muscles of the front of the thigh.

What does the knee consist of and what is its role?

The knee is made up of three parts. The femur (thigh bone) is the larger bone of the leg ( tibia ) that forms the basis of the knee joint. This combination of bones has an inner (medial) side and an outer (lateral) side. The kneecap attaches to the femur to form a third joint, called the patellofemoral joint.

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

The meniscus is a thickened area of cartilage between the two joints formed by the thigh and shin.

The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which help the joint glide over the joint, reducing friction between the tendons. There is a large tendon (the patellar tendon) that connects to the kneecap and the front of the shin bones. There are large blood vessels running through this area under the knee (called the popliteal space).

The large muscles of the thigh are moved by the movement of the knee. In the front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscle extends to straighten the knee joint when the patellar tendons are pulled. In the back of the thigh, the hamstrings flex the muscles, causing the knee to bend. The knee can rotate slightly under the direction of some of the thigh muscles.

The role of the knee

The knee performs functions that allow movement of the legs and is essential for normal walking. The knee usually bends no more than 35 degrees and can bend to 0 degrees. Bursae, or fluid-filled sacs, serve to slide over the surface of the tendon to reduce friction as the joints and tendons move. Each meniscus serves to distribute the load evenly across the knee and also to produce synovial fluid to lubricate the joints.

When to See a Doctor for Knee Pain Treatment

Make an appointment with your doctor if your pain doesn't go away after two weeks of home treatment, if your knee becomes hot, or if you have a fever or painful, swollen knees.

If you seek medical attention, your doctor will examine your knee and may take X-rays or other imaging tests. Medical treatments may include anti-inflammatory medications, draining fluid that has built up in your knee, physical therapy, crutches or braces, or surgery.