Playing basketball can injure the ligaments, cartilage and tendons in your knee. Common knee injuries for basketball players include: torn anterior cruciate ligaments, torn menisci, patellar tendinitis and complete patellar tendon tears. Proper body mechanics and strength training may prevent basketball-related knee injuries. Twisting, jumping and player collision can cause knee problems for basketball players.
Anatomy
Inside a knee, you will find tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Tendons connect muscle to bone. The quadriceps tendon connects the quadriceps muscle to your kneecap. The patellar tendon stretches down from the quadriceps muscle and connects the lower kneecap to the shinbone. Ligaments join bones together. Your knee contains two types of ligaments: collateral and cruciate. The collateral ligaments control sideways movement. The cruciate ligaments regulate the back and forth motion. Cartilage provides cushioning between bones.
Tendons
Playing basketball predisposes players to development of jumper's knee, also called patellar tendinitis. Frequent jumping in basketball causes small tears in the patellar tendon. When your body attempts to repair the tears, the tendon inflames and becomes painful. Untreated patellar tendinitis may lead to a complete tear of the tendon. A severed patellar tendon requires surgical repair; without it, your knee cannot straighten. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says athletes who suffer a patellar tendon tear will need to regain 85 to 90 percent strength in the knee, before returning to playing basketball.
Ligaments
When basketball players use improper body mechanics, they may suffer an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Landing wrong or twisting your knee without movement of your foot may tear your ACL. The ACL stabilizes the knee and controls backward and forward motion. A torn ACL causes knee instability and limits range of motion. According to physical therapist Terry Jo Rucinski, female players suffer ACL injuries at a rate five times higher than males because their ACL is smaller, making them prone to tearing. Both male and female basketball players can avoid a torn ACL by landing with the knees slightly bent. Strengthening your leg muscles also goes a long way in ACL tear prevention.
Cartilage
Your knees contain two menisci: lateral and medial. Without the presence of menisci, your shin and thigh bones rub together. Basketball players suffer injuries to the medial meniscus more often than injuries to the lateral meniscus. Torn menisci will cause pain and locking of the knee. Without treatment, torn menisci degenerate until no cushioning remains.
References
- The Hughston Clinic; Common Basketball Injuries; Patrick O'Connell, M.D.
- MedlinePlus: Tendon Vs. Ligament
- The Center for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine: Knee Joint -- Anatomy & Function
- MayoClinic.com; Patellar Tendinitis; January 2010
- The Atlantic Coast Conference: Prevention of ACL Injuries in Women's Basketball
- "Basketball"; Douglas B. McKeag; 2003
