Knee injury is perhaps one of the most common troubles people have to deal with. After all, the knee joint carries a heavy load and is responsible not only for walking, running and jumping, but also for many other movements.
The most common knee injuries
Due to the rather complicated structure of the knee joint, many components can be injured in it - ligaments, muscles, cartilage and bones. Depending on this, the following types of damage are divided:
- the easiest is a bruise that occurs after an impact or fall;
- knee injury associated with sprain or tendons supporting and connecting the patella;
- meniscus rupture (it is an elastic septum between the upper and lower bones of the joint);
- damage to ligaments;
- cracks or fractures in the patella, in the lower part of the femur or in the upper part of the tibia and tibia that occur after a fall or impact;
- dislocations in the patella (occurs infrequently).
Excessive knee injuries
Each knee injury, listed above, occurs as an acute condition as a result of physical effects on the joint. But some of them may be the result of prolonged exertion or repetitive actions. For example, cycling, climbing stairs, jumping and running can provoke irritation or inflammation of one or another component in the knee joint.
In medicine, several lesions of this type are distinguished:
- bursitis - inflammation of the synovial bags, softening the friction between the heads of the bones in the knee joint;
- tendinitis (inflammation) or tendinosis (rupture) of tendons;
- Plick syndrome - twisting or thickening of the ligaments in the knee;
- patella-femoral pain syndrome - occurs after excessive exertion, overweight, injuries or congenital defects of the kneecap.
What damage to the knee joint can develop after a fall?
But the most common is a knee injury in the fall, expressed as a bruise, and a crack or fracture of bones.
The bruise, by the way, can turn out to be different in severity - from a simple hematoma or abrasion on the skin to a condition in which blood collects in the joint from blood vessels that burst after an impact. This condition in medicine is called hemarthrosis.
And in this case, the victim, as a rule, complains of pain in the knee and difficulty walking, and the joint noticeably increases in volume and bruising is sometimes visible under the skin. Often, due to contents accumulated in the joint, the patient cannot fully bend the knee.
Most often, joint injury symptoms gradually disappear even if untreated. If, even after a long time, there is a violation of the functions of the knee and persistent soreness, then the victim needs a complete examination to determine the consequences of the injury.
Knee Injury: Meniscus
A direct knee hit against something solid or a jump to the feet from a great height can cause another damage - crushing the meniscus between the articular surfaces. And with a sharp movement of them (during uncoordinated flexion or extension of the leg), the meniscus may even come off the joint capsule and burst.
By the way, damage to the lateral meniscus (on the inner side of the tibial surface) is 10 times less common than on the medial (on the outside). In this case, the victim experiences severe pain in the joint, it is impossible to straighten the leg. Hemarthrosis will also join this later, as with a severe bruise.
Knee Injury: Ligaments
Often, in combination with damage to one or both menisci, injuries of the anterior cruciate and / or tibial collateral ligament also appear .
The reason for this can serve as a blow to the joint, and a sharp uncoordinated abduction of the lower leg in combination with its movement outward. Externally, sprains or tears of the ligaments are manifested by severe diffuse pain in the limb, limitation of leg mobility, reflex tension of its muscles, swelling around the joint, the formation of effusion and the effects of hemarthrosis.
After a knee injury, involving damage to the ligaments, the sore leg should be kept in an elevated position on a pillow or roll of clothes, a fixative (but not tight!) Bandage is applied to the knee for 15-20 minutes. cold compress (during the day it can be applied up to 3 times). The patient should be taken immediately to a traumatologist or orthopedist.
Bone fracture
After a strong knee hit or when falling from a height, the victim may show fractures of the patella, lower part of the femur or upper part of the fibula and tibia.
The named knee injury is expressed by severe pain, aggravated by the slightest leg movement, swelling quickly forms around the joint, it becomes motionless and noticeably deformed. The patient may have a fever and a strong bruising.
If you suspect a bone fracture, be sure to fix the leg with any long straight object in one position to avoid displacement of bone fragments. The foot is bandaged to a homemade tire, and existing wounds are treated with an antiseptic solution. To reduce swelling and pain, an ice pack can be applied to the knee, which, by the way, can be kept longer than 20 minutes. Not recommended.
The patient should be urgently taken to the hospital to provide further assistance.
Treating various knee injuries
If the patient has a knee injury, the treatment will depend on what kind of diagnosis the specialists will make - it can turn out to be both outpatient and inpatient. The patient must have an x-ray of the damaged joint or its ultrasound examination.
If a tear or pinching of the meniscus is detected, then the patient undergoes a procedure for its release. In the case when for some reason this is not possible, the joint is stretched using a special apparatus. To relieve pain, the patient is prescribed Indomethacin tablets, Diclofenac ointment, Promedol, intramuscularly or in tablets.
In severe cases, with a meniscus rupture, the patient is shown surgical treatment.
When sprains are used anti-inflammatory drugs (ointment "Diclofenac" or "Voltaren"), ointments containing anticoagulants ("Lyoton"). To these funds are added and ointment "Dimexide", which improves the delivery of the main active substance in the tissue.
Fractures are treated by applying a special dressing that provides joint immobility, and in the case of the presence of multiple fragments, an operation is performed to compare them in the anatomical order. If cartilage tissue is damaged, the patient is shown taking chondroprotectors that contribute to its restoration (Chondroitin, Rumalon, etc.).