5 Common Problems You May Have With Your Knees

Your knees are considered one of the most important joints in your body. They’re what help you to walk, run, sit, and get work done around the house. So when they start to go, it can be a world of pain for you for a very long time.

The knees are comprised of four different components: bones, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. They all work together so that the entire knee can move in a comfortable fashion while still supporting your body. That’s why knee problems are so common because they do do a lot of work. So here are the most common problems many experience with their knees.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

The anterior cruciate ligament runs diagonally across the front of the knee in order to provide stability to the entire joint. These are also called ACL injuries and can range in grades from one to three. A grade 1 injury is usually just a mild sprain, while a grade 3 is a complete tear of the ligament. In the case of the latter, you may need to see a Knee Surgeon.

The most common way to injure the ACL is through contact sports, such as football or soccer, but it’s not the only way it can be injured. If you perform a jump and land improperly, you also put your ACL at risk of being sprained or torn.

Meniscal Tears

Instead of ligaments, a meniscal tear is torn cartilage in the knee. There are two menisci in the knee, which are two rubbery wedges of cartilage that sit between the thigh bone and the shin bone. They can be torn while engaging in sports, or tears can occur naturally from aging; this latter form is called a degenerative meniscus tear.

For a sudden tear of the meniscus, an pop may be heard or felt in the knee, followed by pain and swelling, and a tightness around the knee that gradually gets worse as time passes.

Bursitis

This is an inflammation and/or injury of the bursae within the knee, which are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joints of the knee so that they can slide over each other.

Either by overuse of repeated pressure, the sacs can swell can become inflamed, leading to a lot of pain and restriction of movement. Bursitis can usually be treated with self-care, like resting more and placing heat on the knee joint to minimize pain. Pain killers can also be taken to reduce the inflammation if it’s not possible for you to stay off your feet while it heals.

In some very rare cases, bursitis may need to be treated with antibiotics or an aspiration, where a needle I inserted into the bursae to drain excess fluid.

Tendonitis

This is the inflammation of the patellar tendon, which can be the result of overuse during physical activities. The tendon works with the front of the thigh to extend the entire leg when running, jumping or performing other physical activities.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

This ligament is located at the back of the knee, connects to the thigh bone and shin bone, and stops the shin bone from moving too far backward. An injury occurs to this ligament when the knee is bent and a powerful force has been applied to the knee, such as slipping and falling onto your knees.

Knee injuries should always be taken seriously, since they affect your mobility so much. Take the time to let your injuries and pains heal before you start walking again, as this can sometimes aggravate the injury and make it much harder for you to get back to normal.