A sprained knee injury occurs when a knee ligament suffers overstretching, tearing or rupturing due to sudden forces or blows to the knee. Although this type of injury may theoretically involve any of the ligaments of the knee, the most serious sprains usually involve the anterior cruciate ligament. Symptoms may include pain and swelling around the knee as well as (in the most severe cases) knee instability and discoloration/bruising of the skin around the knee. If the knee sprain is mild or moderate in severity, your doctor may suggest treating it at home by resting, icing, compressing and elevating your knee as much as possible. If the sprain is a serious one and your ligaments have been ruptured, knee surgery may be necessary to correct the injury.
Sprained knee injuries can be classified both as to their severity as well as their type (i.e. which of the knee ligaments has been damaged).
Knee sprains can be classified as one of grades I, II or III depending on their severity:
The knee has 4 ligaments that play major roles in stabilizing the joint. First, there are the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL & PCL). These are mainly there to stabilize the knee and protect it against front to back or back to front forces or blows. These two ligaments intersect at the center of the knee in the pattern of a cross (hence the use of the word “cruciate”).
Second, there are also the medial collateral and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL & LCL). Their role is to protect the joint from sideways blows, either left to right or vice versa. The MCL runs along the inside of the knee, while the LCL goes around the outer knee.
Sprains of the anterior cruciate ligament are usually the result of blows or forces applied to the front or back of the knee. Actions such as stopping suddenly from a full out sprint (and using your knee as a brake) or experiencing a blow to the front or back of the knee can cause this type of injury. This type of incident typically occurs during participation in sports such as football or soccer. Contact sports like hockey can also cause ACL sprains.
Many PCL sprains can also occur during motor vehicle collisions in which an occupant of a front seat hits his or her knee against the dashboard.
These types of knee sprains usually occur when your knee experiences a blow in a side to side (lateral) direction. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) sits on the inside of the joint and protects the knee from forces or blows on the outside of the joint. As a result, these types of blows can cause tearing or rupturing of the MCL.
You may also experience an MCL sprain if you fall in a way that causes your lower leg to twist outward relative to your upper leg.
The LCL sits on the outside of the knee joint and protects the knee from blows to the inner knee. However, because the opposing knee usually protects the joint from blows of that nature, LCL sprains are relatively unusual.
As with ACL and PCL knee sprains, MCL sprains typically occur while you are playing sports, especially those requiring frequent and sharp directional changes while running at high speed. Football, basketball and rugby are good examples of such sports.
If you suffer a sprained knee, the injury may announce itself as follows
If your injury is a mild or moderate sprain, the first option for your doctor may be to try a conservative approach.Surgery is usually an option for more severe sprains or those that resist conservative treatments.
This will involve some or all of the following home based treatment options:
For grade III sprains, or those that prove resistant to home based treatments, doctors may consider surgical treatment.
Using arthroscopic technology (i.e. using instruments guided by a very small camera), a surgeon can operate to graft a piece of ligament from another part of your knee to repair the ruptured ligament. Alternatively, he or she may use a piece of ligament from a donor.
Once your conservative or surgical treatment is complete and healing is underway, you will likely need to commence a period of rehabilitative exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist.
Although these exercises may seem to some to be unnecessary, they are actually extremely important to returning your knee to full health. Without it, you will be at risk of experiencing another knee sprain or of having chronic knee weakness or instability after you return to your normal activities. The key is to be patient, focus on the long term future and follow your rehabilitation program conscientiously. It will pay off in the long run.
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The extra long Mueller Sports Medicine Knee Sleeve – Closed Patella delivers even compression and soothing warmth to reduce arthritic pain and help heal repetitive stress injuries of the knee. Replaces the 424 Closed Patella Knee Sleeve
The Mueller Sports Medicine Green Adjustable Knee Brace offers optimal support for weak, injured and arthritic knees. One size. Fits either knee.
With the Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Knee Brace, you get the support you need without hampering your flexibility. A great choice to help control sublaxating patellas or to help support stiff, sore or unstable knees.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Knee Support is made from lightweight performance materials to help improve all stages of your athletic activity. You will experience less pain and greater security and stability during your warm-up and cool down. These phases will all benefit from the support and extreme comfort of the Hg80 Knee Support. This…
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hg80 Premium Hinged Knee Brace has lightweight and neoprene-free breathable fabric with maximum medial-lateral support to help protect weak or injured knees.
The Mueller Hg80 Premium Knee Stabilizer has lightweight and neoprene-free breathable fabric with maximum medial-lateral support to help protect weak or injured knees.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hinged Knee Brace uses a fitted sleeve pull on design and features a triaxial hinge to track your knee’s natural movement. Fits either knee.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Hinged WrapAround Knee Brace is designed to be easy on/off and features a triaxial hinge to track your knee’s natural movement.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer is an effective choice for treating patellar instability, anterior knee pain and other knee problems. Its donut shaped buttresses help to stabilize your patella and control swelling away while you remain comfortable and cool even during extended wearing periods.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer with Conforma Hinge will help to treat anterior knee pain and other patellar instability related knee problems. Constructed from Bio Skin’s patented, breathable materials, the Stabilizer gives excellent compression to control swelling and decrease pain in the knee. The donut shaped buttresses stabilize the patella and help keep swelling away from the knee joint. The brace has a lightweight and comfortable hinge to help address problems of knee joint instability..
The Kinesio Pre Cut Starter Set includes one each of the Kinesio Pre Cuts for the wrist, knee, back, foot, neck & shoulder.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Self Adjusting Knee Stabilizer features criss-cross straps for consistent support and compression above and below your patella. Fits either knee. One size.
The Bio Skin Visco Knee Skin with Thigh and Calf Straps uses a ring made from silicone that helps control swelling and relieve edema via passive massage.
