Symptoms Of A Knee Sprain
Symptoms of a knee sprain vary depending on which knee ligament youve injured. Nearly all knee sprains, however, have some or all of these symptoms:
- Bruising. Some knee sprains will be accompanied by noticeable bruising around the site of the injured ligament. This is most common with ACL sprains. The bruising is generally on the front of the kneecap and in the area surrounding it.
- Instability. The knee may buckle beneath your weight, or when you move from side-to-side. You may not feel confident you can stand without falling. Some instability will be the case for:
- Pain when you put weight on your leg or try to move normally.
- ACL sprains usually result in severe knee pain in the mid-center of the knee. You may have trouble standing and walking. Immediately following your sprain, participation in sports, dance, and other weight-bearing activities is likely impossible.
- Popping sound or sensation at the time of injury. This is most common with ACL sprains. If you hear or feel a popping deep inside the knee at the time of injury, you may have sprained your ACL.
- Stiffness/Immobility. Following your knee sprain, you may have some trouble bending and straightening the knee. This is most often the case with PCL sprains. Other sprains may experience difficulty with lateral motions.
- Tenderness over the site of the injuryagain, this will vary depending on the knee ligament that has been injured.
Knee Injuries From Falling On Concrete
April 1, 2020 By Peter Ventura
Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers require emergency treatment for knee injuries sustained on the job. Occupational knee injuries are both common and serious. In fact, knee injuries are second only to back injuries as the most likely injury to result in time away from work.
If you have fallen on concrete and suffered a knee injury, you might be in pain and unable to work. You may also need quite a bit of medical and rehabilitative treatment before you can start feeling normal again.
Knee Pain After A Fall
Falls happen, even to the most graceful and coordinated among us. The knee is particularly vulnerable during a fall and is among the most commonly injured joints of the body. Knee pain after a fall might signal any of several types of injuries involving the bones, tendons, cartilage or ligaments of the joint.
Video of the Day
Read Also: What Are The Symptoms Of Knee Pain
When To See Your Doctor
Don’t wait if your knee pain is sudden and intense. Pick up the phone if it won’t go away or gets worse.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor might take X-rays or other images of your knee. Blood or knee fluid samples can help confirm or rule out certain conditions. Treatment may include medication, special exercises, braces, or in some cases surgery. Losing weight could help lessen pressure and strain on your knees.
Show Sources
You Have Significant Difficulty Walking
Of course, many knee injuries make it painful and hard to walk. For people with severe knee injuries, it is usually very hard if not impossible to walk. You will often need to be helped off the field and require crutches. Anyone who is placed on crutches should be considered to have a serious knee injury until an Orthopedic Surgeon evaluates you. In many of these cases, an urgent X-ray is useful to rule out a fracture if the athlete cannot put any weight on the knee.
Read Also: How To Heal Knee Ligament
You Cant Put Weight On It
If its immensely painful to stand or put any weight on your injured knee, theres definitely something serious going on.
Inability to bear weight after a knee injury could be caused by a fracture, bone contusion, cartilage injury or ligament tear, explains Dr. Brown. Initial treatment includes using crutches or a steerable scooter to take pressure off the injured limb and minimize additional damage to the knee.
If this sounds like you, listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Dr. Brown warns that the old adage of no pain, no gain doesnt apply in this situation.
He advises seeking orthopedic evaluation as soon as possibleeven that same day if you can.
After a minor injury like a twist or fall, you might not be able to put weight on your leg immediately. Thats not necessarily a cause for alarm, but if you dont feel like youve recovered within a few minutes, this could indicate something more serious.
Its similar to when you injure a wrist or ankle. If you fall on your wrist or twist your ankle, you may experience searing pain for a moment or two. When the injury isnt severe, youre able to shake it off and resume your life after a few minutes at the most. However, if youve experienced a sprain, the pain doesnt subside. Instead, it gets worse.
Your Knee Keeps Buckling
When you got hurt, did it feel like your knee gave way underneath you? Were not talking about a temporary sensation of weakness or some wobbliness, but more like your shin and thigh bone werent connecting or staying in place. A buckling knee could signal an ACL tear or a cruciate ligament injury.
It could start with a small pop or crack, or you could feel it after a strenuous exercise session or a soccer game.
Either way, your knee feels unstable or weak. Your knee may give out momentarily, which is scary because you might not trust yourself to walk safely when this happens. According to Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon, this could indicate a tear in the patella or the quadriceps tendon.
These tendons are on the front of your knees and offer a lot of support to keep you upright. If theyre not in top form, youre bound to feel weak in the knees , and you might not be able to walk at all. If this is the case, you could need surgery.
On the other hand, the weakness could be temporary, caused by wear and tear, improper footwear, or a strain. If youre a weekend warrior or youre over the age of 30 , you might experience this symptom on a regular basis.
However, if the weakness is recurring and happens every time you exercise, its possible you have a time bomb thats waiting to happen. When in doubt, seek advice from a physician.
If your knee buckles under you when you are walking, then it usually indicates instability, she says.
Switch Up Your Stair Climber Workouts
You May Like: What Type Of Joint Is The Knee
Hurts To Bend Knee & Treatment Solutions
Again, treatment for knee pain depends on your specific injury. Mild to moderate injuries that cause knee pain will often fix on their own, offered time. To speed the recovery, you can:
- Rest your knee. Give your knee a rest for a couple of days and avoid extreme activity.
- Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 15-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days or till the pain is gone.
- Compress your knee. Utilize a flexible plaster, straps or sleeves to keep down swelling or include assistance. Elevate your knee with a pillow under your heel when youre sitting or resting to reduce swelling.
- Take anti-inflammatory medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , like Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will assist with pain and swelling. However, these drugs can have side effects and must be utilized just sometimes, unless your doctor specifically says otherwise.
- Practice stretching and enhancing exercises if your doctor suggests them.
To deal with some cases of knee pain, you might require a procedure. People with bursitis in some cases have to have actually excess fluid drawn from the knee. Injections can be given to settle inflammation for arthritis. Surgery might be had to rebuild ligaments or address unstable cartilage injuries.
Can Knee Injuries Be Prevented
To help prevent knee injuries:
- Make sure your kids wear the recommended protective equipment for sports .
- Make sure your kids wear supportive athletic shoes that are in good condition.
- During workouts, kids should always warm up and cool down.
- Encourage kids to do regular strength training to support muscles, and stretching or yoga to improve flexibility.
- When jumping, kids should bend the knees while landing. This takes pressure off the ACL and prevents injury.
- If kids cut laterally or pivot frequently , encourage them to crouch and bend at the knees and hips to reduce the chances of an ACL injury.
- For kids who play just one sport, conditioning and training year-round even if it’s at a lower intensity than during the competitive season can help them stay in shape and make an injury less likely.
Also Check: Can You Have Gout In The Knee
What Knee Injuries Can I Get From Falling On Concrete
10/24/2019
Unfortunately, falls onto concrete can be quite common. Knee injuries of varying severity often occur with these falls. After you get past the initial pain, it becomes important to closely monitor your progress over the next few days. Persistent or worsening pain may indicate a much more severe injury.
The proper diagnosis and treatment is based on how the injury occurred. Generally, knee injuries suffered on concrete involve some kind of blunt force with direct contact of the knee with the concrete. These injuries can result in:
Any of the above injuries can worsen over time. Serious knee injuries left untreated can lead to bone deformities, early onset of knee arthritis or even problems walking. If you suffered this injury during work activity, it is important to seek treatment quickly to ensure safe return to activity.
Is My Knee Injury Serious 5 Signs To Look For
Howard J. Luks, MDUpdated September 17, 2021
Your knee twists, you hear a pop, and now you have knee swelling and pain when trying to walk or with bending your knee. Perhaps you were struck by another player and have bruising, but no swelling. Are these severe knee injuries? When should you consider seeing a Sports Medicine Doctor following a knee injury? Lets go over 5 things that trained professionals look for to determine if your knee injury is serious.
As an active athlete or competitor, you know that severe knee injuries are common. Both contact and non-contact knee injuries can be severe. This post will cover five signs to look for to help determine if you might have a severe knee injury. In general, the most common and worrisome finding is immediate, significant swelling.
Even though most of the injuries I see in the office turn out to be mild, it is essential for you to know what the warning signs are to look for a potentially severe knee injury.
Recommended Reading: Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Bend Down
Urgent Advice: Get Advice From 111 Now If:
- your knee is very painful
- you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape
- you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have redness or heat around your knee this can be a sign of infection
111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or .
You can also go to an urgent treatment centre if you need to see someone now.
They’re also called walk-in centres or minor injuries units.
You may be seen quicker than you would at A& E.
My Knee Hurts When I Bend It And Put Pressure On It
There are many causes for knee pain. Almost anything that causes pressure on a joint can lead to pain. The way bones move smoothly requires them to roll and glide. The patella, or kneecap, shifts and glides in the groove on the thigh bone, which is controlled by surrounding muscles. Any pain that occurs in this area is likely caused by an underlying problem.
Read Also: What To Bring To Hospital For Knee Replacement Surgery
Most Common Knee Injuries
The knee is the largest joint of the body, and is also one of the most commonly injured joints. Bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons work together to form your knee joint and allow you to bend your leg. Because of all the moving parts on the knee and the sensitive nature of the joint, its very prone to multiple types of injuries.
If youre experiencing knee pain, its likely that youre suffering from one of the most common knee injuries. Well help you understand the makeup of the knee, as well as how to identify the symptoms of a knee injury. However, only your orthopaedic doctor can determine what injury youre dealing with.
Anatomy of the Knee
Within the knee joint are three bones: the femur , the tibia , and the patella . These three bones meet to form the knee joint. Articular cartilage covers the ends of the femur and the tibia, as well as the back of the patella. The cartilage allows the bones of the knee joint to smoothly glide against one another as you bend or straighten your leg. The meniscus is a tough and rubbery wedge-shaped cartilage located between your femur and tibia. The meniscus cartilage cushions the joint and also acts as a shock-absorber between the femur and tibia bones.
The tendons within your knee connect the muscles to the bones. The quadriceps tendon is located in the front of your thigh and connects those muscles to the patella. The patellar tendon connects your patella to your shinbone.
Knee Injuries
1. Knee Fracture
2. Knee Dislocation
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
ACL injury, which is a common knee injury, causes pain in the middle of the knee. It is usually caused by a sudden stop and a change in the direction of the leg, causing the knee to rotate and the ACL to degenerate. The painful symptoms of an ACL injury are felt immediately, often causing great difficulty in walking or climbing stairs. Depending on the severity of the injury, there may be a feeling that your knee is slipping, too.
Don’t Miss: How Do You Get Gout In Your Knee
You Notice An Obvious Deformity
If you notice your knee jutting outward in a way it never has before, take note. A dislocated or fractured patella can cause injuries like this, explains Brian Schwabe, C.S.C.S., board-certified sports physical therapist based in Los Angeles.
While some deformities occur over time, when the deformity is a result of an injury, it could be the result of a fracture or chronic wear on the knee joint. If you are already experiencing any kind of misalignment in your lower extremities, then you could be more prone to this type of injury.
If you notice a bone deformity after an injury, he recommends seeking the assistance of an orthopedic doctor immediately. The doctor will likely take x-rays as well as perform a visual diagnosis to determine if you need surgery.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of A Knee Injury
The signs and symptoms of a knee injury depend on the cause. Most knee injuries cause pain. A knee injury may also lead to the knee feeling weak, “giving way,” or “locking.” Someone with a knee injury might not be able to fully bend or straighten the knee. The injured knee may be swollen or bruised.
You May Like: How To Get More Cartilage In Your Knees
Knee Pain When Bending
Reviewed by: KPE Medical Review Board
Knee pain when bending is a common problem. Forces up to seven times body weight can go through the knee as it bends, so it comes as no surprise that it is such a widespread problem.
Bending knee pain may start suddenly after an injury, or gradually come on over time depending on the cause.
There are a number of different causes of knee pain when bending, but they generally all result from a problem with one of the structures in or around the knee, affecting how it moves.
This changes how the forces travel through the different parts of the knee and can result in too much pressure going through certain parts, which leads to knee pain bending.
Here we will look at the different types of bending knee pain, the most common causes of knee pain when bending, treatment options and what is actually going on in the knee as it bends.
If You Think Youve Sprained Your Knee
Take your weight off the injured knee, rest your leg, ice the injury, and take NSAIDs to control pain and swelling immediately after the injury. Then make an appointment to see a doctor as soon as youre able.
A physician, sports medicine doctor, or orthopedist can examine your knee to determine the extent of your ligament damage and to confirm the knee sprain, if that is indeed the injury you have.
In some cases, what you might think is a sprain may actually be a more severe injury, such as a ruptured ligament or a tear. Severe ligament tears and ruptures may require arthroscopic knee surgery to mend and reattach torn tissue.
Also, sometimes the knee damage may be a sprain plus something else, like a fracture or damage to more than one ligament.
At your visit, your doctor will tell you if you have a Grade I, II, or III sprain, or something else entirely. Then he or she will advise you on how to treat and rehabilitate your knee going forward.
Please contact Coastal Orthopedics located in Corpus Christi, Texas to schedule an appointment if you suspect a knee sprain today at 994-1166.
You May Like: How To Exercise With Knee Pain
Does Your Knee Hurt After A Fall
With the recent snow storm in Philadelphia the sidewalks have been slippery and many people will experience a slip and fall. A number of injuries can occur after a fall including knee pain after the knee connects to the pavement. Pain, swelling, and a decrease in activity are all common after a fall resulting in knee pain. After your fall you may not know what to do.
Keep reading to find out what is next.