When an athlete catches the sound of their knee crack and pop, they better prepare themselves for a long journey. The Center for Injury and Policy (CIRP), from Science Daily, reports that, “Knees are the most accident prone part of the body in high school athletes.” Knee injuries are very common; in fact, they are responsible for 45% of the injuries that occur in high school athletics across America. Knee injuries are well known to not just those in the medical field, but also to athletes. Injuries to the knee are caused by many factors, and what happens after the injury has taken place is what’s most concerning (Science Daily).
So what causes athletes to tumble to the ground? According to the Osteoarthritis Health Center, “The knee is a vulnerable joint.” The knee is a complex system, made up of many parts that are made like delicate pieces of glass; they can easily be destroyed. The knee is formed by tendons, cartilage, ligaments, muscle, and some bone (Web MD). All of these components are sensitive pieces of the body. The Knee Pain Health Center suggests that the knee experiences wear and tear every day from a variety of activities. Sports, running, and even walking wear down the building blocks of the knee; the most common worn part is cartilage. Knees injuries are unpredictable. Aggressive actions, also suggested from the Knee Pain Health Center, includes any twisting or forceful turning. A swing of a bat, or winning tackle, puts the knee at risk for injury. Athletics that are dangerous to the knee include softball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, baseball, gymnastics, and football (Web MD).
Athletics are sometimes blamed completely for knee injuries, but athletics are not always the main cause of knee injuries. Knee inju...
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Tearing the ACL is now considered an epidemic in the United States over 100,000 recorded incidences are reported each year (Moeller). While such a finding may be good for orthopedic doctors and surgeons, this is not good for millions of athletes’ competing these days in high intensity sports. This is especially a problem for female athletes who are two to four times more likely to tear their ACL than men (Moeller). This is one of the biggest mysteries about ACL tears is the difference between the number of injuries seen in women and men. Women tend to tear there ACL far more frequently then men. While not everyone agrees that gender itself is the source of the problem, evidence is growing that females are learning too late that participating in sports can also become the first step to ruining an active lifestyle.
All in all, injuring the ACL is a devastating blow to the knee. The ACL, which plays a major role in the support of the knee, must be protected during full-contact activities. Even simple activities such as running and jumping can lead to ACL injuries. It is important to follow the proper technique so that the body can stay healthy and continue to do what one does with it.
The anatomy of the knee contains the femur, tibia and the patella. There are four main ligaments within the knee. Those ligaments are called medial collateral (mcl), lateral collateral (lcl), anterior cruciate (acl) and posterior cruciate (pcl). The anterior cruciate ligament (acl) is in the middle of the knee and prevents the shin from sliding. An anterior cruciate ligament tear is the most common harmed ligament, undergoing an estimate of 200,000 happenings yearly. Typically individuals who play sports such as football, basketball, skiing or soccer experience this injury.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 08 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.
Although in many cases what really holds the athlete back is not the knee, but instead fear of further injury. Many athletes find themselves almost completely back to normal, but they cannot perform because they are afraid of getting hit. It is understandable then to see tears well up in the eyes of an athlete when he/she realizes that the injury is to the knee. A torn ACL is the first thought that comes to mind.
"What Is Occupational Therapy?" Occupational Therapy : What Is Occupational Therapy? N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
A torn meniscus is one of the most common types of knee injuries. This injury can range from mild to severe. Surgery may be needed for a severe tear.
The meniscus is one of the most commonly injured structures in the knee. Meniscal injuries can occur in any age group, but causes are somewhat different for each age group. In younger people, the meniscus is fairly tough and rubbery, and tears usually occur as a result of a fairly forceful twisting injury. In the younger age group, meniscal tears are more likely to be caused by athletic activity (Sutton, 1999).
A 16 year old, female high school soccer player, Lindsey Robinson tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) from a soccer game. Interestingly, she was not the only one in her team who injured her ACL, but also several of her teammates have torn the same ligament as well during the soccer season. Lephart (2002) found that women involved in physical activity are more susceptible to acquire the ACL injuries than men who are involved in the same physical activity (as cited in Ogden, 2002). According to “ACL Injury Prevention” (2004), the numbers on female ACL ruptures have been increased for the past ten year. Over 1.4 million women have been suffered from the ACL rupture which is twice the rate of the previous decade. Therefore, female ACL injuries are now a growing problem in the nation (Anonymous, 2004). Back in 1950s and 1960s, female participation in sports was rare; therefore, the rate of injuries was very low. However, according to “ACL Injuries and Female Athletes” (n.d), as Title IX was implemented in 1972, female participation in numerous sports has dramatically increased. Moreover, the rate of acquiring injuries to the ACL also has dramatically increased (Anonymous, n.d). In terms of comparing the rate of acquiring ACL injuries between two genders, females have higher rate than males do. According to the “Physical Therapy Corner” (2007), “women suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries more often than men, nearly 4 times as often in basketball, 3 times as often in gymnastics, and nearly 2 and a half times as often in soccer” (Knee Injuries section, para.1). There are various risk factors that contribute to the high rate of acquiring injuries to the ACL for female athletes. External factors such as improper sh...
Anterior knee pain plagues the athletic community, the most common being runner’s knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). One point or another in an athlete’s career they have experienced this kind of pain. When comparing between male and female athletes and who has the higher chance of knee pain, female athletes have a higher prevalence than male athletes (Dolak KL). There are several different mechanisms of patellofemoral pain a few being: pes planus,an increased Q angle, weak, tight or an imbalance in the quadriceps or hip muscles. Recently in my clinic site as the spring sports such as, baseball, soccer and track and field the athlete’s perform a lot of squatting, running, and kneeling which load the patellofemoral joint. We are now starting to see several and treat several athletes with patellofemoral knee pain. Each of them experiencing the pain from a different mechanism. As an athletic trainer we want to treat not only the symptoms, but the mechanism of injury to prevent further injuries down the road. If patellofemoral pain syndrome is not properly treated it can develop into chronic diseases such as chondromalacia or arthritis, maybe eventually leading to a total knee plan. (Lee SE) Treatment while the athletes are young and symptoms aren’t severe is key to preventing further injury.
In order to know how bad a dislocated knee is, the anatomy of the knee should be known. The top bone in the joint is called the femur and the bone that is connected to is the tibia, which is distal it (Prentice, 20142013). Next to the tibia laterally is the fibula (Prentice, 20142013). These bones form the knee joint. I...
Traumatic injuries seem to occur a lot in the sport of football. Knee injuries seem to be one of the most occurring traumatic injuries in football (Become an Advocate for Sports Safety). The main types of traumatic knee injuries are: tearing/spraining of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and the meniscus, which is the cartilage that is in the knee (Become an Advocate for Sports Safety). The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a very vital ligament in the knee. It is the main stabilizer of the knee. Surprisingly usually the anterior cruciate ligament is torn from a non-contact twisting of the knee (5 Most Common Football injuries (and How to Prevent Them)). The knee normally pops and it will begin to swell and it may feel unstable (5 Most Common Football injuries (and How to Prevent Them)). Swelling depends on the severity in the tear of the ligament. The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four main ligaments that provide stability to the knee joint (Common Football Injuries). It is the most important out of the four. Injuries to any of the cruciate ligaments in the knee are most of the time sprains (Common Football Injuries). The anterior cruciate ligament being the most often stretched, strained, sprained or either tore (Common Football Injuries). Most of the knee injuries that occur in footbal...
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)? - MedicineNet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/urinary_tract_infection/page2.htm
Silder, Amy, Darryl G. Thelen, and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Effects Of Prior Hamstring Strain Injury On Strength, Flexibility, And Running Mechanics." Clinical Biomechanics 25.7 (2010): 681-686. Print.
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