Common causes of knee injuries and their potential treatment plans

Knee Injuries: Overview

The knee joint is considered one of the complex and largest joints in the body. It is the most important joint because it connects the thighbone to the shinbone. As well as this, the joint plays an important role in supporting the body’s weight and facilitating the movement, allowing you to bend your knees. Due to the complexity of the joint, it is more susceptible to a number of injuries compared to other joints. The most common knee joint injuries may include tears in the ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. At the same time, the knee cap may also be dislocated or fractured.

The most common knee injuries may include ligaments injuries, meniscal injuries, knee tendinitis, knee bursitis, knee dislocation, and knee fractures. The leading causes of these injuries may differ. The common sports causing knee injuries may include running, football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, skiing, and more. As well as this, some occupations requiring repetitive motion of the knees can cause several knee injuries. People involved in the occupation, including mining, construction working, and carpeting, maybe at a high risk of knee injuries.

Moreover, some traumatic conditions, such as direct falling and colliding with something or someone, may also become the reason for the knee injuries. Several preventive measures can help prevent knee injuries. However, wearing the best knee supports helps reduce the chances of knee injuries.

Common causes of knee injuries

The common causes of knee pain or problems may include injuries, mechanical problems, types of arthritis, and other problems:

1.         Injuries

Some injuries may cause knee pain and other problems. These injuries may include knee ligament injuries, torn meniscus, knee bursitis, patellar tendinitis, and fractures.

2.         Mechanical problems

Some mechanical problems, including loose body, iliotibial band syndrome, dislocated knee cap, and hip or foot pain, can cause knee injuries.

3.         Arthritis

Overall 100 types of arthritis have been found. Arthritis that affects the knees may include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pseudogout, and septic arthritis.

Common risk factors for knee injuries

The following are the common risk factors contributing to the knee injuries:

• Excess weight
• Lack of muscle strength or flexibility
• Certain sports or occupations
• Previous injuries

Common symptoms of knee injuries

The symptoms of knee injuries may vary and depend upon the condition. However, the common symptoms of knee injuries may include the following:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Redness
• Warmness
• Instability
• Weakness
• Crunching or popping sounds
• Inability to fully straighten the knees

What are the possible treatments for knee injuries?

The treatment plan for knee pain or injury may depend upon your conditions. However, the following are the potential treatment plans for knee pain or knee injuries suggested by experts or healthcare professionals:

1.         Medications 

Depending on your conditions, your healthcare provider will suggest medications to control pain, swelling, and other symptoms related to knee problems.

2.         Therapy

Your knee joint is surrounded by muscles which help make your knee more stable. Your healthcare professional will suggest certain types of strengthening exercises or physical therapy based on your conditions. People who are physically active and involved in different high-contact sports are suggested to perform exercises. These exercises help correct movement patterns that may be affecting your knees. As well as this, these exercises help establish good technique during your sport or other workout activities.

3.         Injections

There are a variety of injections are used to inject, helping treat the knee injury symptoms more quickly and effectively:

• Corticosteroids: Corticosteroid injections may help reduce the symptoms of arthritis and help relieve the pain. Remember that these injections are not effective in all cases.  
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): This is considered the best treatment to reduce inflammation and promote healing. Some studies have also revealed that PRP helps certain people experience osteoarthritis.
• Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acidis injected into your knees to improve mobility and ease the pain.

4.         Surgery

The most severe conditions or knee injuries may require surgery to repair or recover your knee. The following are the surgical treatments suggested for knee injuries:

• Arthroscopic surgery: This surgical process is used to repair a damaged joint using a fibre-optic camera and a long narrow tool inserted through small cuts around your knees. The surgery is used to repair or remove the damaged cartilage, remove loose bodies from your knee joint, and reconstruct torn ligaments.
• Partial knee replacement surgery: In this surgical process, the surgeon replaces only the damaged portion of your knees with parts made of plastic and metal. The surgery is done by making small incisions. So, the healing process is quick compared to other surgical methods, such as the entire replacement of the knee.
• Total knee replacement: In this surgical option, your surgeon cuts away the damaged cartilage or bone from your kneecap, thighbone, and shinbone.These damaged bones are replaced with artificial joints made of high-grade plastic, metal alloy, and polymers.
• Osteotomy: This surgical method involves removing bone from the shinbone or thighbone to align the knee better and relieve arthritis pain. The process may help you avoid or delay total knee replacement surgery.

How do knee braces help with knee pain?

Wearing the best knee braces help you in a variety of ways. For example,

• They boost confidence: Wearingknee braces helps keep your knees stress-free from overuse and repetitive movements. It boosts the confidence among athletes involved in high-contact sports and other workout activities.  
• They help relieve knee pain: Knee braces provide your knee joints and muscles with the needed support, compression, and warmness, helping relieve knee pain and inflammation.   
• They allow ligaments to heel: The provided compression through knee braces also helps speed up the recovery process following knee ligament injuries and other problems.

How to choose knee braces

Knee braces are of different types, specific according to certain knee conditions. The common types of knee braces may include:

• Functional knee braces
• Rehabilitative knee braces
• Unloader knee braces
• Prophylactic knee braces
• Knee sleeves

Remember that all these types of knee braces work differently according to your needs. It is advisable to ask your GP or healthcare professionals to choose the right knee braces according to your needs.

Buy the best knee braces

Knee injuries are common in sportspeople who are involved in high-contact sports. As well as this, people involved in occupations requiring the repetitive movements of knees may be at a high risk of knee injuries. We have discussed the possible causes and symptoms of knee injuries. The idea of the given causes and symptoms will surely help you avoid the risks of knee injuries during sports, athletic activities, workouts, or when performing your occupation. However, wearing the best knee supports helps prevent injuries, and they can also relieve pain and other symptoms.