Sports Med Knee Injuries

Ligaments of the knee:

ACL (Anterior Cruciate)

PCL (Posterior Cruciate)

LCL (Lateral Collateral)

MCL (Medial Collateral)

ACL sprain mechanism:

• Plant and cut

• Excessive hyperextension

ACL Sprain signs and symptoms:

• Pop or snap

• Rapid swelling intra articular

• loss of function

• instability

PCL sprain mechanism:

• Direct blow to anterior tibia

• Excsessive hyper flexion

• athlete falls and a bent knee bears full weight

PCL Sprain signs and symptoms:

• Pop or snap

• Minimal swelling

MCL sprain mechanism:

Direct to blow to the outside of the knee

MCL sprain signs and symptoms:

1st degree

2nd degree

3rd degree

LCL sprain mechanism:

Direct blow to the medial side of the knee

LCL sprain signs and symptoms:

1st degree

2nd degree

3rd degree

What injury is more common: MCL sprain or LCL sprain?

MCL

Patellar Tendonitis (jumpers knee) mechanism:

Over use/continual jumping

Chronic

Patellar Tendonitis signs and symptoms:

• Quad weakness

• point tender

• minimal swelling

• pain

What is chondromalacia?

• Patellar tracking problems

• Patella grates across femur casuing the cartilage behind the patella to scrape and wear away

Chondromalacia treatment:

• Strengthen Vastus Medialis (controls patella)

• correct form

Patella Dislocation Mechanism:

Knee is flexed and forced to turn around

Patella Dislocation signs and symptoms:

• Deformity

• Pain

Patella Dislocation treatment:

crutches, refer, reduce if trained

What is Osgood-Schlatter’s disorder

microscopic tearing away of soft tissue at tibial tuberosity during pubety, adolescents

Osgood-Schlatter mechanism

repetitive stress

Osgood-Schlatter signs and symptoms

• Knee discomfort

• swelling tendons

• pain during activity

Meniscus function

absorption and stability

Meniscus tear mechanism

Twisting motion of the knee

Can happen with hyper extension or hyper flexion

Unhappy triad:

Injury to ACL, meniscus, and MCL