Knee injuries can be hard to heal and can make daily tasks very difficult. The knee contains four bones and many ligaments, muscles and tendons. These parts make the largest joint in the body, and one that has to accomplish many types of performance. The knee is important in tasks as simple as sitting and walking and as complex as skiing, jumping and swimming.
The parts of the knee include:
- four bones
- patella
- femur
- tibia
- fibia
- four main ligaments
- medial collateral
- lateral collateral
- anterior cruciate
- posterior cruciate
- tendons
- muscles
- Bursae sacs filled with fluid protect all the parts of the knee
Because there are so many parts and the functioning of the knee is so complex, a lot can go wrong. In fact, knees are the most easily injured parts of the body. Knee injuries include broken bones, dislocated kneecaps, torn or stretched ligaments and tendons, and arthritis.
Knee injuries occur because of aging joints, overuse, impact sports, sports that strain the joint, car accidents, work-related injuries, slips and falls, and many other types of incidents. When knee injuries occur, they can be painful, difficult and expensive to heal. They often require surgery, medication and substantial physical therapy.
Wearing proper foot ware, performing knee exercises, and warming up your muscles and joints before exercising is important and can help you reduce your chances of injuring your knees. If you experience a mild knee injury, you might be successful treating it with rest and hot and cold therapy (switching between hot packs and ice packs). However, if you think you have damaged your knee, calling a doctor immediately is important. Continuing to strain an already injured knee could make it worse.
Common knee injuries include:
- arthritis
- ligament damage
- bursitis (when the bursae sacs are injured)
- cartilage injuries
- tendonitis
It is possible to get a knee replacement in extreme cases of knee injury. Some injuries can be treated surgically or with rest and physical therapy.
Tags:
knee,
knee injury,
knee pain,
workplace injury
