Knee pain, Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture – Injuries that need early treatment to prevent “osteoarthritis

Phyathai 2

5 Min

21/05/2020

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Knee pain, Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture – Injuries that need early treatment to prevent “osteoarthritis

When it comes to “knee pain” symptoms, most people first think about “osteoarthritis”. However, for young people…, especially sport players with regular running or jumping routines; pain and swelling in knees are often not caused by degeneration, but by injuries or inflammation after a strenuous use. Untreated chronic pain not only reduces the quality of life…, but also increases the chance of “osteoarthritis” in the future!!

What are the problems behind… knee pain and swollen knee?

  • Pain in knee joint from myositis is often found in speed runners or athletes who perform regular jumping. Hamstrings can be torn from chronic impact of pulling.

Symptoms involve pain in the lower knee joint area and more acute pain that happens while running, or quickly changing a position from sitting to standing. Some patients may have a swollen hamstring near a knee joint. Other patients who suffer from severe inflammation may hardly walk since the pain occurs at every step when they put weight on their walks.

  • Outer knee pain from inflamed iliotibial band (IT band) is mostly found among marathon runners or long-distance cyclists. This outer knee pain is caused by continuous friction between the IT band and the lateral femoral condyle when the knee is repeatedly bent and extended.

The symptom involves outer knee pain that is much worsened especially when a patient strides or runs downhill. Some patients may also experience swollen outer knee joints.

  • Inflamed knee joint cartilage – Knee joints are the largest joints of the body. They consist of 3 parts of bones, each of which is covered by cartilage called “articular cartilage”. It helps reduce friction from movements, along with absorbing force and impact put on knees. Causes of inflamed knee joint cartilage include…excessive patella tilt as the knee is flexed. This usually happens in patients with flat feet or knee overuse, for example, excessive exercise, going up and down the stairs multiple times a day, etc.

The symptom involves pain as the knee is flexed, such as when a patient sits with his/her legs to the side, stands up to change a position, or walks up-down the stairs. Pain often occurs at the front of the knees. If severely inflamed, knee joints can be swollen. Knees may crack as they are flexed or extended because the kneecap cartilage snaps.

“Anterior cruciate ligament rupture” another frequently found injury

Apart from knee pain caused by the 3 reasons above, soccer players who require agile movements to evade opponents for the whole match may experience ACL pulling and rupture. Hard runs, knee twists when they are still extended, and direct contact with another player, such as a sudden and intense knee twisting, jumping or quickly lifting feet, all lead to sprain or tear of ACL.

What types of knee pain…are considered “anterior cruciate ligament rupture”?

During an initial stage of the injury, a patient can barely or cannot put weight on the legs as he/she walks. Then, after around 1-2 weeks, knee pain or swelling shall alleviate. The symptoms only happen when the knee is twisted; for example, when a patient goes up and down the stairs, runs, or plays sports, etc.

Caution! Chronic knee injury may lead to… “premature osteoarthritis”

Some individuals at a younger age… may bear the risk of premature osteoarthritis. One main factor involves… repetitive and excessive stress on a joint. For example, marathon runners are 3 times more prone to osteoarthritis in the long run than regular people. Another factor is… previous injury from an accident, such as bone surface injury, which is often found in soccer players with previous torn ligaments. Chronic inflammation of bone surface… means a higher chance of osteoarthritis in the future due to a compression fracture of the bones.

Does treatment of “anterior cruciate ligament rupture” injury require “surgery”?

Since the ACL of knees has ligament tension, when it snaps…, the two ends of the ligament further pull apart. Although physical therapy may be sufficient for some patients with ACL rupture, the ACL surgical intervention may be required if you want to return to high-demand physical activities what use knees, such as soccer. At any rate…, the decision to pursue surgical treatment may involve a diagnosis from a doctor.

Can a patient continue playing sports… after ACL surgery?

Nowadays, arthroscopic surgery using a tendon from another body area is available for ACL treatment. This method, together with physical therapy and rehab programs, provides faster knee joint recovery time for the patient. Despite the rehabilitation…, the patient will finally be able to return to his/her sports once again.

Sports medicine… does not necessarily involve a surgical treatment. A patient needs to receive other rehabilitation, such as physical therapy or nutrition care. Therefore, besides patient cooperation, a medical team and experts are of great importance for quick recovery… enabling the patient to resume the pre-injury joyful lifestyles.


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