Common Knee Injuries

What are they?

Common knee injuries can be categorised into ligament sprains/ruptures, meniscal tears, muscle strains, ITB syndrome and osteoarthrosis.

Ligament Strains/Ruptures – Ligaments connect bone to bone. There are four main ligaments that stabilise the knee joint, these are the two collateral ligaments on either side of the knee joint (these help prevent side to side movements of your knee joint) and the two cruciate ligaments that cross each other in the centre of the knee joint (these help prevent forward and backward movements of the knee joint). At times these ligaments can tear or completely rupture if the knee joint is over stressed in certain directions. The different types of tears can be categorised into three different grades.

Grade I – Is a sprain with no tear in the ligament. The patient may experience some localised pain at the site of injury.

Grade II – Is a partial tear of the ligament. The patient may have moderate pain and swelling at the site of injury with some knee joint instability.

Grade III – Is a complete tear of the ligament. The patient will experience swelling, they may complain of the knee “giving way” and may or may not experience pain.

Meniscus Tear – The meniscus is a wedge shaped structure made of cartilage, located inside the knee joint between the tibia (one of the lower leg bones) and the femur (thigh bone). Its purpose is to give shock absorption, stability, nutrition and lubrication to the joint. Occasionally the meniscus can tear, generally due to a twisting injury when the foot is planted on the ground. A patient who has torn their meniscus will have immediate pain with a gradual build up of swelling over the next 24hrs. In more severe meniscal tears the patient will also experience, clicking and even locking of the knee joint.

Muscle Tears – Muscle tears are most commonly found in byarthroidal muscles (muscles that cross two joints), such as the quadriceps and hamstrings that cross both the hip and knee joints. There are many predisposing factors to the muscle tearing; some of these are sudden acceleration and deceleration during sport, inadequate warm up, excessive muscle tightness, fatigue, overuse and previous muscle injury. As with ligament strains, muscle tears can be categorised into three grades of tear. These are:

Grade I – A small amount of muscle fibres are strained, some localised pain but no loss of strength.

Grade II – A large amount of muscle fibres are strained, localised pain and swelling, strength is reduced and the joints range of movement is limited by pain.

Grade III – Is a complete rupture of the muscle fibres, severe pain and swelling and complete loss of strength.

Illiotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS)– The iliotibial band (ITB) is a tight band of fibrous tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh, from the hip to just below the knee joint. Its purpose is to provide stability and to assist in flexion of the knee. ITBFS occurs from friction between the ITB and the outside of the thigh bone at the level of the knee joint (the lateral epicondyle of the femur). The patient suffering with ITBFS may experience localised pain on the outside of the knee that is aggravated when running. There are two common causes for ITBFS, these are inappropriate training and abnormal or altered biomechanics.

Osteoarthrosis- People who are over 40 yrs of age are prone to degeneration of the cartilage within the knee. The cartilage acts to protect the articulating bones of the knee and without it the bone can become damaged. The patient with osteoarthrosis may experience swelling, stiffness and anterior knee pain as they flex and extend their knee.

What types of treatment are available?

*It is important to note that these are just some of the many different knee injuries we may experience. Effective treatment is very much dependent on a thorough assessment and accurate diagnosis. The following list of treatments may be appropriate for your diagnosis and is not extensive. Our Physiotherapists are experts in Musculoskeletal Assessment, Diagnosis and treatment.

Manual Mobilisation Therapy – This could be provided to the patellofemoral joint and the knee joint in order to increase range of movement and reduce pain and discomfort within the knee.

Soft Tissue Massage – This can reduce muscle tension, correct muscle imbalance, enhance muscle contraction and desensitize any painful and overactive areas.

Ultrasound Therapy – This can speed up and optimise the recovery process.

Acupuncture - Can stimulate the body's natural healing response, release pain-killing endorphins and improve functioning of the hormonal system.

Exercise and Rehabilitation – We can provide you with a personalised exercise programme for your needs, this will help to correct any muscle imbalance in your knee, increase proprioception and rehabilitate you to your previous level of mobility.

Taping Techniques – We can apply taping techniques to your knee to prevent further injury, reduce pain and give you confidence during the early stages of rehabilitation.

Knee Braces – We can give you professional guidance as to what knee braces will best suit your needs, allowing you to return to work or sport with confidence.

Podiatry – We can refer you to our experienced Podiatrist for a biomechanical assessment, he can then provide you with custom made orthotics to correct any biomechanical abnormalities in your feet.

Consultant and Sports Medicine referral – We are familiar with a range of expert Consultants who we can refer you to if further medical intervention is required.

Any Questions? Please Contact us