Knee injuries are perhaps the most common form of ailment that sends people to the doctor’s office every month. Based on estimates, there were 10 million visits to the doctor due to injuries related to the knee. Indeed, orthopedic doctors remain busy throughout the year because of this.

There are many different knee injuries that can send people to the doctor. In this article, we talk about the most common forms of these injuries. So, let us take a look at them without any delays.

The most common knee injuries

Without a doubt, the knee is a very complicated joint. For instance, it moves like the hinge in doors. This allows a person to straighten or bend their legs. With that, it also moves in circular directions, allowing the person to twist.

There are four components that which the knee is made up of. These include bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

Cartilage is a type of tissue that acts as a cushion between the bones and the joint. As a result of this, the bones stay protected in the case of an impact.

The following are the most common injuries of knees.

Fractures

Any bone in the human body has the tendency to getting fractured, except the more flexible ones. Now, in and around the knee, the kneecap and patella are the most commonly broken bones. This happens due to a fall or a accident in the car.

In the United States, most of the knee fractures happen due to car accidents. With that, people who have any underlying conditions such as osteoporosis or obesity end up fracturing the knee simply by tripping or taking a wrong step.

Ligament injuries

Along with that, ligament injuries are also quite common in people. The ACL, otherwise known as anterior cruciate ligament goes diagonally down the knee. If there is an injury to this ligament, it can require some serious surgery.

There are three scales in which the injuries of ACL are classified. For instance, the grade 1 sprain is considered as a milder injury. Similarly, grade 3 injuries refer to a total tear.

Often at times, athletes who take part in sports that involve a lot of contact such as soccer or football end up injuring the ACL. However, these injuries are not just caused by contact support.

Dislocation

Dislocation of the knee joint occurs when the bones go out of their proper alignment or place. When knee dislocation happens, multiple or even a single bone slips out of its place. This often happens due to traumas, falls, car accidents, sports, and other abnormalities.

Meniscal tears

Meniscal tears simply refer to a torn cartilage in the knee. Basically, this happens due to the menisci. These are the two rubbery cartilage wedges between the shinbone and the thighbone. Sometimes, due to sporting activities, these cartilage pieces can end up tearing.

Furthermore, in some cases, they can also tear due to the aging. When this happens due to the natural aging process of the body, we refer to such meniscus as the degenerative meniscus tear.

In the case of a sudden meniscus tear, a person may hear a pop or feel it in the knee. Over the next few days after the tear, the tightness, swelling, and pain may end up increasing.

Conclusion

There are many other ailments of the knees, and we cannot possibly list them all in this article. However, the above mentioned ailments are the most commonly seen among people of all ages.

In case you are going through any of these, do not delay the appointment of a knee injury doctor McLean and talk to them right away.