Knee accidents could be painful and disruptive to each day life as they will severely impression your life by stopping you from doing bodily actions and even strolling round therefore, having knee issues is not any joke! Understanding widespread knee injuries and methods to forestall them may also help you keep away from discomfort, long-term injury to your knees and save you pain and damage.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Nataraj HM, Head of Orthopaedics, Robotic Surgery and Sports Surgeon at Belenus Champion Hospital in Bangalore's Sarjapur Road, recommended to maintain your leg muscle groups robust, enhance exercise depth regularly, keep at a wholesome weight and observe correct alignment throughout bodily exercise to stop knee accidents. He revealed some widespread knee accidents and advisable tricks to forestall them:

1. ACL Tear: An ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tear is a typical knee damage that happens when the ligament that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone is broken or torn. It is commonly brought on by sudden twisting or direct impression to the knee. To forestall ACL tears, it is important to keep up robust leg muscle groups and observe correct leaping and touchdown methods throughout bodily actions.
2. Meniscus Tear: The meniscus is a rubbery cushion that sits between the thigh bone and shin bone. A meniscus tear can happen as a consequence of sudden twisting or impression to the knee. To forestall meniscus tears, it is important to keep up a wholesome weight and keep away from actions that put undue stress on the knee joint, corresponding to operating on exhausting surfaces.
3. Patellar Tendinitis: Patellar tendinitis is an overuse damage that happens when the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone turns into infected. To forestall patellar tendinitis, it is important to regularly enhance the depth of bodily actions and keep away from actions that contain repetitive leaping or operating.
4. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Patellofemoral ache syndrome is a situation that happens when the cartilage underneath the kneecap turns into infected. It's usually brought on by overuse or incorrect alignment of the knee joint. To forestall patellofemoral ache syndrome, it is important to keep up a wholesome weight, observe correct alignment throughout bodily actions, and keep away from actions that put undue stress on the knee joint.
5. IT Band Syndrome: IT band syndrome is a situation that happens when the IT band, a thick band of tissue that runs from the hip to the knee, turns into infected. It's usually brought on by overuse or incorrect alignment of the knee joint. To forestall IT band syndrome, it is important to keep up a wholesome weight, observe correct alignment throughout bodily actions, and keep away from actions that put undue stress on the knee joint.

Adding to the checklist of widespread knee accidents, Dr Anil R Patil, Consultant Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Specialist at SPARSH Hospital shared -

1. Osteoarthritis: The most typical damage we hear about is the osteoarthritis of the knee i.e the wear and tear and tear of the knee or age-related degeneration of the knee. This is seen within the age teams of fifty and above and extra generally within the age group of 60- 70. There are not any actual components that affect the onset of this illness. Usually, crucial issue is genetics, and different components corresponding to high-impact actions like operating, leaping or previous accidents may have an effect on put on and tear of the knee. Osteoarthritis is without doubt one of the most typical issues which may ultimately result in a necessity for knee alternative surgical procedure. It impacts mobility and creates a whole lot of ache. This downside is seen within the aged.
2. Patellofemoral Pain: Another excessive is, knee ache within the younger. Nowadays, we see a whole lot of kids expertise ache whereas sitting for lengthy or whereas climbing stairs, they really feel the necessity to stretch out usually. This is known as Patellofemoral ache (the joint between the thigh bone and the kneecap is known as the patellofemoral joint). This is the commonest trigger for knee ache in kids underneath the age of 40. The causes for this knee ache are multifactorial and never as a result of the bone has worn off. It could possibly be due to flat ft, weak thigh muscle groups and hip muscle groups, and a whole lot of sitting all through the day. All of those components result in patellofemoral ache or knee ache in kids. Proper evaluation of the rationale and life-style of the affected person is vital with a view to eliminate such ache.
3. Jumper’s knee: Also often known as Patellar Tendonitis. This could be known as the tennis elbow of the knee. This is a muscular or tendon downside whereby, the tender tissue or the elastic band that attaches the kneecap to the leg bone, will get stretched past a restrict or it will get injured. It could be very generally seen in individuals concerned in impression actions like operating, leaping, skipping, and dancing.
4. Sports damage: Sports accidents to the knee are sustained by twisting accidents. Injuries to the knee, opposite to well-liked perception that damage occurs if you happen to hit your knee on the ground or if you happen to tore or broke one thing, it's normally a twisting or an oblique damage whereby the foot is planted on the bottom and the physique weight twists on high of the knee resulting in a knee damage or a ligament damage. It shouldn't be attainable to get a ligament damage by immediately hitting your knee on the ground. Ligaments are elastic bands that maintain the knee collectively just like the hinges of a door. Ligaments maintain the knee collectively for motion in a manner how hinges maintain the door. When the physique twists, these ligaments stretch past restrict which results in a tear. This may end up in extreme ache, swelling and incapacity to stroll. With time the ache and swelling comes down and the one symptom of this ligament damage could be instability of the knee or a making a gift of sensation of the knee (buckles) whereas attempting to pivot and transfer. This is the commonest symptom and buckling occurs solely on occasion and is commonly uncared for or pushed to the again of the thoughts. When it's too late, the irregular motion results in the wear and tear and tear of the cartilage of the knee or arthritis. Thus, the uncared for ligament damage may result in osteoarthritis.

Advising preventive ideas for Osteoarthritis, he emphasised -

• Weight loss: Osteoarthritis, like talked about earlier,essentially the most influential issue is genetics. Genetics is a giant factor we can not change. Modifiable components are weight. Weight loss will result in decreased strain within the knee joint and can result in much less ache.
• Walking: Fitness performs a giant position in arthritis. Usually individuals cease strolling as a consequence of ache however by no means cease strolling no matter arthritis.
• Avoid floor stage actions: Once you develop knee arthritis, it is best to keep away from floor stage actions like sitting cross legged, squatting and keep away from climbing stairs.
• Lifestyle modifications: Once you develop arthritis, the importing factor earlier than surgical procedure is life-style modification.

Advising preventive measures for Patellofemoral ache, he mentioned, “The most important thing is to avoid sitting for long hours. If it is inevitable, look for proper chairs. The height of the chair is extremely important i.e the angle between your thigh and your leg should not exceed 90 degrees. Make it a point to get up frequently and stretch out your legs and make time for strengthening of the knee joints and the leg muscles.”

Advising preventive measures for sports activities accidents, he insisted upon -

• Proper heat up and correct stretching (sport accidents): The ligaments assist the knee however additionally it is the muscle groups across the knee that assist the ligament. If the muscle groups should not robust, ligaments should work alone they usually have a tendency to provide away in the event that they don’t have any assist. Proper stretching, energy coaching, plyometrics, sporting correct footwear and following correct methods corresponding to touchdown on the bottom, dodging and tackling are additionally essential to stop ligament damage. Also, correct diet can be extraordinarily vital.

When to see a health care provider?

• For Osteoarthritis - Dr Anil R Patil siad, “If you need a painkiller everyday or if your social life is affected and performing day-to-day activities is also becoming a task due to knee pain, then it is time to see a doctor. Doctors may suggest analgesic, physiotherapy, injections and lastly if required, a knee replacement.”
• For sports activities damage - Dr Anil R Patil advisable that the very first thing to do instantly after an damage is, relaxation.

RICE-

R- Rest

I- Ice pack utility

C- Compression

E- Elevation

He mentioned, “You should not massage the leg right after an injury. It should be rested and there should be no movement of the limb. Ice pack application is very important, not a hot water pack. For compression, use a crepe bandage or compression bandages to reduce the swelling and keep your leg elevated above the heart level to avoid swelling. If the pain is persistent or there is a deformity due to which you can’t walk or your leg gives away or buckles, then it means that you might have a complete ligament injury.”

He concluded, “You might need a scan to confirm. An X-ray does not diagnose ligament injury, you would require an MRI scan. Once the doctor confirms the ligament injury, treatment depends on the grade of the injury (grade 1,2 or 3). Grade 1 and 2 injuries just require rest and physiotherapy. Grade 3 injury depending on the symptoms and may require a key hole or an arthroscopic surgery to fix the ligaments.”