Transcript Disorders of the Knee

Disorders of the Knee
Sports medicine
Chondromalacia Patella
Abnormal softening of the cartilage under the
kneecap
Symptoms are generally a vague discomfort of
the inner knee area aggravated by activity
(running, jumping, climbing or descending stairs)
or by prolonged sitting with knees in a
moderately bent position
Patients frequently have abnormal patellar
tracking toward the lateral side of the femur
Treatment
Primary goal for treatment and rehab is to
create a straighter pathway for the patella
to follow during contraction of quads
Icing and anti-inflammatory medications
Selective strengthening of the inner
portion of the quadriceps
Patellar Dislocation
Usually occurs as result of sudden
direction changes while running and the
knee is under stress
May occur as result of direct injury
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
One of the most common causes of knee
pain in young athletes
Swelling, pain and tenderness just below
knee
Occurs mostly in boys who are having
growth spurt during their pre-teen or
teenage years
Only rarely persists beyond the growing
stage
Treatment
Cut down on time spent playing sports
until the pain has been gone for 2-4
months
RICE
Patellar Tendinitis
“Jumper’s Knee”
Relatively common inflammatory condition
that causes pain in the anterior aspect of
knee
Begins as inflammation of patellar tendon
where it attaches to the patella
Can progress to tearing or degeneration of
the tendon
Treatment
Rest the injured area until symptoms have
subsided
RICE
NSAIDS
Strengthen the quadriceps
Neoprene sleeves or braces
Osteochondritis Dissecans
Blood supply to the area at the end of the
bone is cut off
A fragment may gradually loosen,
separate and cause pain
Knee is most commonly affected
Symptoms
Pain
“Locking” of the joint
Feeling of the joint wanting to “give way”
Decreased joint movement, limited ROM
Limping
Swelling and tenderness over the joint
Stiffness after resting
Causes and Treatment
Injury or stress
Restricted blood supply
Resting the joint
Immobilization of the joint
NSAIDS
Meniscal Injuries
The two most common causes are
traumatic injury and degenerative
processes
Most common mechanism of traumatic
tear is when the knee is bent and then
twisted
Not uncommon for the meniscus to tear
along with injuries to the MCL and ACL
(The unhappy triad)
ACL Tear
Most often occurs when an athlete
suddenly pivots causing excessive
rotational forces on the ligament
Sudden giving way of the knee
May hear a 'pop' at the time of injury
Sudden swelling of the knee joint
Pain in the knee when walking