Which knee ligament is injured

This will help to work out what treatment you need and how long your knee injury will take to heal. You can damage other soft tissues around your knee, such as your cartilage and tendons.

Soft tissue means any tissue in your body that isn't bone. One of the most common knee injuries is to tear a meniscus one of the wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage that lie inside your knee. This can happen if you play a sport that involves twisting, such as football or basketball. But it can also happen when you run, play tennis and ski. As you get older, your menisci may become worn, which makes them more likely to tear during normal daily activities.

Your knee also has a different type of cartilage that covers the ends of your bones that lie inside the joint. This articular cartilage can get damaged too. If you run regularly or play sports where you jump a lot, you may damage the tendons that attach muscles to your knee.

You can irritate or tear the tendon that connects your kneecap patella to your thigh muscle. This tendon is called the quadriceps tendon. The bursa a small fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion or lubrication in front of your kneecap will swell up with fluid.

Prepatellar bursitis can also be caused by a direct blow to your knee or a fall, or a bacterial infection. You can access a range of treatments on a pay as you go basis, including physiotherapy. If you have an infection, your knee may look red, feel hot and painful. You may also have a high temperature. Always see your GP if you have these symptoms. If you injure your knee and the pain is mild or moderate or has come on gradually, you can visit your GP or a physiotherapist. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you.

They may feel for fluid in your knee joint by pressing gently around your kneecap. Your doctor may ask you to walk, sit or lie down so they can test for any injury to your knee ligaments or soft tissues. POLICE stands for protect, optimal loading, ice, compression and elevation — things you should consider doing if you have injured your knee. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, can help with the pain if you injure your knee.

You can also use anti-inflammatory gels and creams to help with pain relief. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine and if you have questions, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice. You can also choose to see a physiotherapist privately. A physiotherapist will create a programme of exercises to gradually strengthen your knee so you can move it normally again. But your physiotherapist will probably give you exercises to do every day at home, as well as at your follow-up appointments.

You may need to use a brace to support your knee while it recovers, usually if your injury was severe. Your doctor or physiotherapist may refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon for some knee injuries. Your surgeon is more likely to suggest you have an operation if you have one of the following injuries.

You may be able to have a type of keyhole surgery called knee arthroscopy to get to the damaged area of your knee. There are several things you can do to reduce your chance of damaging your knee ligaments. This will help to prevent other sports injuries too. Some people use arnica for soft tissue injuries, such as sprains and strains. Some research has shown that putting arnica on your skin may help to ease sore joints. But it can have more side-effects than other painkilling creams, such as ibuprofen.

Osteoarthritis can weaken the muscles around your knee joint, which increases your risk of injury. If your knee is painful from arthritis, you might not put your full weight on it and you may be more likely to fall over.

Knee ligaments are the short bands of tough, flexible connective tissue that hold the knee together. Knee ligament injuries can be caused by trauma, such as a car accident. Or they can be caused by sports injuries. An example is a twisting knee injury in basketball or skiing.

The knee has 4 major ligaments. Ligaments connect bones to each other. They give the joint stability and strength. The 4 knee ligaments connect the thighbone femur to the shin bone tibia. They are:. Anterior cruciate ligament ACL. This ligament is in the center of the knee.

It controls rotation and forward movement of the shin bone. Posterior cruciate ligament PCL. This ligament is in the back of the knee. It controls backward movement of the shin bone. Medial collateral ligament MCL. This ligament gives stability to the inner knee. Lateral collateral ligament LCL. This ligament gives stability to the outer knee. The ACL is one of the most common ligaments to be injured.

The ACL is often stretched or torn during a sudden twisting motion. This is when the feet stay planted one way, but the knees turn the other way. Slowing down while running or landing from a jump incorrectly can cause ACL injuries.

Skiing, basketball, and football are sports that have a higher risk for ACL injuries. The PCL is also a common ligament to become injured in the knee. But a PCL injury often occurs with a sudden, direct hit, such as in a car accident or during a football tackle. Knee ligament injuries may or may not need surgery.

The treatment depends on which ligament is torn, how severe the injury, and your desired lifestyle. Sometimes people with ACL injuries can manage without surgery if they do not participate in high-level sports that have limited jumping, pivoting, or changing of directions.

When the MCL is torn in combination with other knee ligament injuries, the knee might need temporary immobilization to allow the torn MCL fibers to heal. Our research has shown that the PCL can heal with some laxity looseness and still have good results without surgery.

Lateral side knee injuries require surgery to establish stability is combined with other ligament tears.

If the LCL tears in isolation, non-surgical treatment may suffice. The decision of how to treat your injury will be discussed with you at your appointment. Download the form.