The first question often faced following a knee injury is whether heat or ice should be applied to the injured area. Treatment for a knee injury depends on the type of injury incurred. Acute knee injuries such as those resulting from falls, direct...
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of the four main ligaments in the knee connecting the tibia to the femur. It helps provide stability to the knee. Every year, approximately 200,000 ACL injuries occur, according to the American...
Even after RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is applied, knee problems may persist and need the attention of an orthopedic surgeon. Treatment may involve surgery and physical therapy. Whatever course of action your doctor and...
If your knee is bothering you, don't dismiss it as a symptom of aging and keep walking on it. Knee pain may be caused by arthritis, torn ligaments, tendinitis, bursitis, torn cartilage, or a muscle sprain or strain. Rather than ignoring your...
Knee pain and injury is often treated with physical therapy. Common exercises for the knee are meant to strengthen muscles around the knee and stretch the tendons and ligaments attached to the knee bone. But exercise can create further injury to...
Following surgery to repair a knee injury or osteoarthritis, your physician may refer to you as being in phase I of your recovery process. Phase I signals that you may make some movements in the knee joint, but they may be limited. Over time --...
Cartilage is a soft flexible tissue that acts as a kind of shock absorber in the joints. This is the location at which three bones meet: the thighbone, which is called the femur; the shinbone, which is called the tibia; and the kneecap, which is...
Knee injuries are among the most common injuries in basketball due to the fast-paced, aggressive nature of the game. Basketball involves constant starts and stops, changes in direction, twisting and pivoting, which place tremendous pressure on the...
A torn ACL -- anterior cruciate ligament -- is a common sports-related injury that affects the ligament in the knee joint that attaches the bones for proper alignment, control and stability. After you tear an ACL, most doctors will prescribe...
In most cases, you may begin to do rehabilitative strengthening exercises as quickly as a few days after knee replacement surgery. These exercises are gentle and non-weight-bearing and put no strain on the knee. They are aimed at strengthening the...
Your knee is the largest joint in your body and, as such, it is prone to injury. Knee problems are the most common reason people visit an orthopedic surgeon, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, with knee problems accounting...
Your knee is one of the easiest parts of your body to injure, which is shown by the estimated 19.4 million visits to physicians offices due to injuries and problems in the United States each year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic...
Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones, facilitating mechanical movement at a joint. The patella tendon, which links the quadriceps and patella to the tibia or shin bone, transfers the force generated by contraction of the...
A knee sprain can occur to any of the four ligaments within your knee joint -- the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments and the lateral and medial collateral ligaments. The injury is classified in three grades of increasing severity, with...
Knee injuries can take on a variety of different forms -- including sprains, fractures, dislocations, tendinitis and damage to your ligaments and cartilage. If you are an athlete or avid participant in exercise, recovering from a knee injury may...
A twisted knee injury results when your lower leg remains stationary or fixed while your thigh and knee rotate to the point of pain or tissue damage. The severity of the injury differs from patient to patient, and different treatment options are...
Motocross is an exciting sport that's exhilarating for the rider and enjoyable for the spectator. However, one reason it's so popular is that it's unpredictable. You can have a perfect day, but if someone next to you loses control, you face...
The meniscus is found in your knee joint between your tibia and femur. It is a tough, rubbery material that provides shock absorption, improves lubrication and increases the stability of the joint. You have both a lateral -- outside -- and...
Your medial collateral ligament, or MCL, is located on the inside of your knee and is responsible for connecting your femur, or thigh bone, to your tibia, or shin bone. PhysioAdvisor.com says that the MCL is "one of the most important ligaments of...
Tears to the meniscus -- the thick, shock absorbing cartilage of the knee -- prove painful and limit activity. Some tears in the more vascular area of the meniscus heal without surgery. To promote healing and prevent further injury, doctors...
To prevent a knee injury or recover from one, do stretches to strengthen the muscles that surround the knee and help it move. Knees are complicated joints and they can be injured in athletic competition, automobile accidents, household falls or...
A meniscus injury is usually a tear that affects one or both of the pieces of cartilage in your knee joint. The cartilage, which both cushions and stabilizes the joint, may be torn straight across in a radial or transverse tear, or it may be torn...
Musculoskeletal injuries, especially knee injuries, are the most common reason for a visit to your primary care doctor, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Knee braces are often used in the treatment and prevention of knee...
Knee injuries can be treated with therapeutic exercise, depending on the severity of the injury. Exercises are important to maintain full range of motion (ROM) within your knee joint that could otherwise be lost due to swelling or inflammation,...
Hyperextension of the knee is when the knee bends backwards to lock beyond a normal straightened position. It is common among ballet dancers. Some dancers are born with the condition while others may develop it. Many dancers do not experience...
Knee injuries are one of the most common reasons Americans visit an orthopaedic surgeon, states the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Composed of bone, cartilage, ligaments, muscle and tendons, your knee is one of your body's most complex...
A torn meniscus is a common injury that can be painful and make it difficult to participate in normal activities. Exercises to restore strength and mobility to your knee are an important part of a post-injury rehabilitation program. Although...
The medial collateral ligament, or MCL, is a ligament complex that connects the inner portion of the knee to the hamstring muscles in the back of the leg. Although the MCL is considered one of the strongest of the body's ligaments, it is subject...
Any time your body is injured, you must first allow the area to heal, and then start the rehabilitation or strengthening process. Physical therapy is a post-injury process focused on restoring function and range-of-motion to injured limbs, helping...
