Hyperextended Knee

Knee hyperextension is one of the common knee injuries faced by athletes in sports like gymnastics, basketball and volleyball, to name a few. However, in sports the damage may be less intense than what can occur in an accident; car crash being a common one. The excessive pressure can result from any sudden or aggressive action which causes the knee to move past its normal straightened position and bend backwards. A tear in the knee ligaments is what which causes this condition. These ligaments serve as a bridge connecting the upper portion of the leg to the bottom. This tear results out of an incident wherein, the knee bends, twists or moves out of its typical range of motion. What explains the occurrence of an hyperextended knee is the simultaneous onset of two movements in the knee, which causes the tear. The information given below is a description on the different signs and symptoms of hyperextended knee and about its treatment, as well.

Hyperextended Knee Symptoms

Hyperextended knee symptoms are immediate and there might be several of them which occur right away. The bending of the knee backwards, is the first apparent symptom which may indicate that you might have hyperextended your knee. Then comes the hyperextended knee pain which may be extremely painful and grueling, particularly for severe injuries. The pain may be felt at the back and sides of the knee, and it may be accompanied by a swelling of the injured area within the few first hours of the injury. What becomes a very apparent consequence of a hyperextended knee is the person's inability to continue playing, running and perform other similar activities, due to instability or impaired motion. Walking may still be possible, but it might cause a lot of pain. In some cases, it might get difficult to diagnose if the person has actually hyperextended his/her knee. If the knee appears deformed, pain continues or if the knee gets locked in one position or does not get straightened, then there is a possibility that the patient has hyperextended his/her knee. Read more on common knee injuries.

Hyperextended Knee Treatment

The treatment lays its focus on alleviating the unnatural stress, swelling and the pain. Applying ice immediately helps in relieving the swelling and so also the pain which might be radiating throughout the leg. Not to mention, do not apply the ice directly onto the damaged area. Use towel or something similar to wrap around the ice. Thereafter, call for medical help without any haste. After getting the injury diagnosed, the patient might be given anti-inflammatory medications and recommended to use a compression bandage. If the injury is of a mild nature, then complete rest from activity and physical therapy is required for the leg to regain its lost strength and stability. Crutches, keeping the affected knee(s) in an elevated position while sitting or lying down and icing several times a day, also comprises the treatment for a hyperextended knee. For cases which doctors feel are too severe to be treated by conservative treatment methods, they are most likely to be attended by surgery. In case of a child who has suffered a hyperextended knee, doctors recommend the surgery to be performed once the child's bones have stopped growing.

Patients are also assigned some hyperextended knee exercises, to help the knee attain its normal range of motion. These exercises may include performing activities in water, use of stationary bike, muscle stretching, and probably other kinds of knee strengthening exercises, depending on what the doctor might consider best for the patients.

Hyperextended knee recovery time, may require about six to nine months. This is the time a patient must wait before returning to sports, especially if he/she has undergone a surgery. Very mild cases, may take an average of 1 - 2 weeks for recuperation, but by far it all depends upon the extent and graveness of the injury.

Swelling Behind Knee

Knee pain can affect each and every activity like sitting, standing, walking, etc. Sometimes, knee pain is experienced while sleeping also. You can easily kneel, bend or stretch your legs only when knees support these basic actions well. Besides helping in the leg movements, knees also bear the entire weight of your body. Even a mild knee pain, if left untreated, may cost you much later. Swelling behind knees is usually followed by pain. There are several causes of swelling behind knees. Some of the main causes of swelling behind knee are mentioned below.

Causes of Swelling Behind Knee

Baker's Cyst: Baker's cyst is a non-malignant growth that is usually noticed in runners and tennis players. Weakened lining of the knee joint can lead to the formation of a lump or swelling behind the knee, which may restrict leg movement. It can cause pain and discomfort to the person. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can especially lead to the formation of Baker's cyst, causing unbearable pain behind knee.

Chondromalacia of Patella: Chondromalacia of the patella is also called 'runner's knee'. Swelling behind knee after running, like baker's cyst can be noticed when a runner approaches forty miles per week for the first time. Over-strain may lead to swelling and pain behind knee. Even though a few day's rest is recommended, the pain may come right back. After the first few miles of the next run the swelling behind knee can be seen increased and the pain also might flair up.

Injuries: Any injury that occurs to the knee can lead to swelling behind knee joint. A fracture or tear in your meniscus or ligaments or just a minor tear of the cartilage surface can lead to pain and swelling behind knee. Trauma, injury or fracture during a sport event or accident can lead to swelling behind knees. Read more on knee pain after running.

Overuse: Leg pain behind knee is observed when the joint is overused. Strenuous or constant exercises, wrong position during exercising or during any activity, aging or any fault in structural alignment can cause swelling behind knees, resulting in mild or severe pain. Swelling behind knee after exercise is a very common complaint. If your joint is not used to an exercise pattern, it may result in swelling behind the knee.

Weakened Muscles: Sometimes, swelling behind knee can be experienced due to weakened thigh, foot or calf muscles. Other weakened muscles can create unnecessary work pressure on the knees during any activity, like knee pain when bending. If you are overweight, then this problem can be often experienced as the knees have to carry excess weight.

Other Problems: Rubbing of the knee cap against the lowermost end of the femur (thigh bone) can cause swelling behind knee cap, leading to sharp pain. Sudden change in the daily routine, any added activity or lack of exercise, vitamin deficiency, serious diseases like cancer are also among the other causes of swelling behind knee.

Swelling Behind Knee: Treatment

    * If you are overweight, losing weight is the first requirement for avoiding knee problems. Regular exercises and balanced diet can help reduce the weight.
    * Arthritic patients also need to perform regular knee exercises under the guidance of a physician or physical trainer.
    * Regular runners should use perfect fitting shoes along with knee braces or additional arch support in the shoes, etc.
    * Baker cyst in rare cases requires removal of excess knee fluid in conjunction with cortisone injection. Doctor may prescribe medications to relieve pain and inflammation. Mostly, Baker’s cyst heals on its own and no special treatment is required.
    * For mild swelling or pain, you may opt for over the counter anti inflammatory medicines or pain killers. You can apply ice packs or hot packs, ointments, balms, etc. which can help reduce the pain and swelling behind knee.
    * When pain or swelling behind knee is noticed, you should provide sufficient rest to the joint. You should avoid rigorous physical activities which might lead to increased pressure on knees. Read more on leg exercises for bad knees.
    * If Baker's cyst is associated with cartilage tears or other internal knee problems then surgery can be the best treatment option. During the surgery, the surgeon can remove the swollen tissue (synovium) that is responsible for the cyst formation.

I hope you find the above information about swelling behind knee helpful. I hope, this article guides you to take necessary precautions while exercising or while performing daily activities. The most important thing is that you should consult your doctor about any knee problem if it is not resolved with the help of simple home remedies.

Unhappy Triad Injury

Knee is the largest joint in a human body. It comprises of femur (lower end of thighbone) and a knee cap (patella) which fits into the groove perfectly on one end of femur through a sliding mechanism. A knee also contains ligaments which aid in controlling motion by bracing joints against abnormal types of motion. Between the femur and the tibia (upper end of shinbone), there is a structure known as meniscus. This structure is constituted of soft cartilage between femur and tibia and absorbs any shock during leg movements. So when there is an injury to knee, a sudden knee pain is bound to be felt.

A torn ligament in knee could be one of the knee pain causes. However, when three structures of the knee, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), MCL (medial collateral ligament) and medial meniscus get affected by an external injury, the term coined for such a condition is unhappy triad injury. Let's understand the causes for this unhappy triad knee injury.

What is the Unhappy Triad Injury?
The unhappy triad injury is an aggregation of three types of knee injuries that are explained below. Since this knee injury involves a meniscus tear, an ACL tear and an MCL tear, the name unhappy triad is given to it. Let's understand each of these injuries in detail.

ACL Tear: The anterior cruciate ligament tear is very painful and the most crucial of all knee injuries. This ligament helps in balancing of legs. When there is an ACL tear, the person might experience a knee pain and inability to walk properly (occasionally buckling away).

Meniscus Tear: The second of the unhappy triad, meniscus tear involves tearing of the fibrocartilage in the knee joint, thereby reducing the resistance of the knees (since meniscus aids in cushioning the knee bone and reducing friction in bones). Medial meniscus tear can cause inflammation in the knee causing meniscus pain. Some popping sensations can also be felt in the knee.

MCL Tear: The unhappy triad is completed by the tear of the medial collateral ligament which runs along the inside of the knee. This ligament is responsible for providing stability to the knee joint. Symptoms of pain, decreased range of motion and instability indicate an MCL tear.

What Causes the Unhappy Triad?
The unhappy triad knee injury is an outcome of stressful and rigorous sports activities like football and rugby. When a blow is inflicted on the outside of the knee of an athlete (who is in stance position with feet on ground), chances of this unhappy triad injury are maximum. The ACL tear and meniscus tear can occur simultaneously during a plant and turn movement in the game. When the knee, after the first injury continues to move along the same path. The ACL tears further causing the knee to shift. Consequently, the femur and tibia compress against the meniscus causing the soft fibrocartilage to tear. And an external blow on the same spot adds to the MCL tear.

Prominent symptoms felt post unhappy triad injury are swelling in the knee with a bruise around it, severe knee pain, instability (this happens as tibia and femur slide against each other) and rupture in the triad ligaments.

Unhappy Triad Injury Treatment
The most painful part of the unhappy triad injury is the ACL tear. It can be treated only with surgery. A person having undergone this injury can take even months to recuperate completely. Reconstructing the ACL is the primary goal in the surgery after which the MCL tear and meniscus tear gradually start to heal. The unhappy triad recovery time can range between 6-9 months depending on the seriousness of the injury. Post surgery, knee braces can be used for prophylactic reasons. Many athletes use knee braces for running. This will reduce the probabilities of occurrence of this injury.

Unhappy triad injury is definitely a painful condition for players. But with a lot of surgical treatments and proper knee care, such conditions do recover quite fast. So next time, when indulging in physically engaging sport activities, if there is a sharp knee pain and instability felt while walking, do not ignore the symptoms! Check with the doctor at the earliest! Hope this article, on unhappy triad knee injury, was informative!