The knee is composed of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.The ligaments connect the bones of the knee together and keep the knee stable. A ligament injury can occur when a person makes sudden accelerates in running, twists the knee or lands too hard. These injuries occur most often in sports activities.
Anatomy of the Knee
Four main ligaments in the knee make up the collateral and cruciate ligaments, reports the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. The collateral ligaments include the medical collateral ligament and the lateral cruciate ligament. These ligaments control the sideways motion of the knee. The cruciate ligaments include the anterior cruciate ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament. These ligaments control the back-and-forth motion of the knee.
Ligament Sprains
Ligament injuries are considered sprains and are categorized into grades depending on the severity of the injury, reports the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. A grade one sprain occurs when the ligament is slightly overstretched and can still stabilize the knee. Grade two sprain occurs when the ligament is partially torn. Grade three sprain occurs when the ligament is completely torn and results in instability of the knee joint.
Conservative Treatment
The grade of sprain that the ligament has will influence the course of treatment. Treatment will also be dependent on whether more than one ligament is injured. Doctors who have diagnosed patients with a mild sprain can treat the injury at home using the RICE technique. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, the RICE treatment includes resting the knee, icing the knee to decrease inflammation, wearing a compression bandage and elevating the knee and leg above the person's heart.
Surgery
Surgery is generally required for patients with more than one ligament injury, a torn ligament or a torn anterior cruciate ligament. According to the University of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, surgery will stitch the torn ligament back together and reattach the ligament if it has torn from the bone. The ligament is reconstructed using either a piece of the hamstring tendon or part of the patellar tendon to replace the anterior cruciate ligament.
Recovery
After surgery, the patient will be able to go home and begin recovery. According to the University of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, the patient's knee will be in a brace to prevent overuse of the knee. The patient will be give medication to help control the pain and crutches to keep weight off the knee. The first two weeks after surgery, the patient should rest, keep inflammation down and perform the prescribed knee exercises. After two weeks, the patient will go to physical therapy to regain normal function for about 24 weeks.
