By Robbie Schneider
The knee is the largest joint in the body and one of the most easily damaged. Knee ligament injuries are common, especially sprained knees. While knee injuries often happen among athletes in any sport, a twist or unfortunate hit to the knee can injure a ligament, too.
Franciscan Health Indianapolis orthopedic surgeon Sean Calloway, MD, talks about common causes of knee ligament injuries and how knee injuries are treated, often without the need for surgery.
What Are Ligaments In The Knee?
The ligaments in the knee help control motion by connecting bones and bracing joints against abnormal impact.
“When we’re talking about ligaments of any part of the body, a ligament is what connects bones together,” said Dr. Calloway. “This is a little bit different than when we talk about tendons, because tendons connect muscle to bone.”
What Are The Most Common Knee Ligament Injuries?
The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), located in front of the knee, and the MCL (medial collateral ligament), which connects the tibia and femur bones inside the knee are common injury sites. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), located behind the knee, is not injured as often.
“When we look at all four of those ligaments of the knee, the most commonly injured ligament is called the ACL, which you’ve probably heard about,” said Dr. Calloway. “It’s very common in athletes. These types of injuries are most caused by what in our field we call non-contact injuries. If you’re watching athletes running on the field, especially in football, you can see they plant their leg, their knee twists and they fall to the ground. So, a lot of times these types of non-contact injuries happen that way.”
The second most injured knee ligament is the MCL, located on the inside of the knee. Injuries to the MCL can sometimes happen if someone or something hits the outside part of the knee.
“The other two ligaments, the PCL and the lateral collateral ligament, are a little bit more rarely injured,” said Dr. Calloway. “Those can sometimes happen with things like motorcycle wrecks.”
What Should I Do For A Minor Knee Injury?
For minor knee injuries, doctors often recommend following the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) for the first 24 to 72 hours after the injury. Try to take it easy immediately after you injure yourself. Ice your knee for 15 minutes every two hours to reduce inflammation and pain. Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, can be very helpful, as well. Wrap the affected area with an elastic bandage to provide compression and reduce swelling. Elevate your leg. These steps also will help take down swelling.
When Should You See An Orthopedic Specialist For Knee Pain?
Feeling a pop or having swelling in the knee are signs that you should see a specialist for your knee injury.
“I think the biggest factor in those, what we would consider tweener cases where it’s maybe not a severe injury, but also not just something you can walk off, is swelling of the knee,” said Dr. Calloway. “When you start seeing swelling and it’s not going down or it’s lessening your ability to walk, that’s when you go and see an orthopedic surgeon.”
Surgery For Knee Ligament Injuries
For some more serious knee ligament injuries, surgery may be needed to repair a tear or reconstruct the ligament.
If you have lingering knee pain that doesn’t resolve with rest, reach out to Franciscan Health’s orthopedic specialists to help find a plan of care to get you back to enjoying the activities – such as golf — that you love to play.
