Knee Ligament Injuries Treatment in Sinnamon Park

What are knee ligament injuries?

Knee ligament injuries vary from person to person and are caused by damage to the ligaments around the knee. This often causes the affected area to become inflamed or irritated, resulting in a myriad of painful and somewhat debilitating symptoms.

There are four main ligaments in the knee –anterior cruciate ligament (ACL),posterior cruciate ligament (PCL),medial collateral ligament (MCL) andlateral collateral ligament (LCL).These provide stability and strength to the knee, and connect to the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shin bone).

Types of Knee Ligament Injuries

There are many different types of knee ligament injuries, including:

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury

Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury

Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Injury

• Controls forward movement of the tibia
• Most common knee ligament injury
• Due to sudden twisting motion
• Controls backward movement of the tibia (shin)
• Most common knee ligament injury in a motor vehicle accident, usually due to the knee hitting the dash.
• Provides stability to the medial (inner) side of the knee
• Most common collateral ligament injury, usually due to a sudden force
• Provides stability to the lateral or outer side of the knee
• Another common collateral ligament injury, usually due to a stretch or tear

What are the symptoms?

General symptoms of knee ligament injuries can include:

• Pain in both the affected and/or surrounding area of injury
• Muscle spasms, weakness and/or fatigue
• Nerve pain (pins & needles, tingling, sharp pain, decreased sensation)
• Worsened pain with movement and/or inactivity
• Reduced range of movement
• Poor stability, balance and strength
• Swelling and inflammation
• Co-morbid or differential diagnoses of other knee injuries/conditions