How do I know if my knee injury is serious?

Knee injury is the most common type of injury experienced by runners or players. It is observed when your knee is inclined from its natural position but your leg remains at its place.

Knee parts like ligaments, tendons, and cartilage allow the knee to work smoothly. If one of the parts of the knee structure gets damaged, you can have a serious knee injury. But remember not all the injuries are severe some are mild and just need self-care measures.

Your mind must possess a question during knee injury that how do I know if my knee injury is serious? Here we bring up 5 signs that indicate a serious knee injury and want a quick visit to a doctor.

Swelling

Swelling is the ordinary sign that you see after a knee injury. But this ordinary sign is an alarming situation if it is intensive. Swelling causes when your knee doesn’t bleed after injury and that blood in the knee causes redness and inflammation.

Touch the knee if it is warm, red, and gets extreme swelling immediately then your injury is severe. In this situation consult your doctor to avoid any strain.

But there are some situations in which your knee doesn’t get swelled right after the injury. And you are in between normal and injured knee then ice the knee for 20-30 minutes several times a day. This cold therapy controls the swelling and skin burn at its early stage.

Video: YouTube/Bob & Brad

Deformation

The deformity is the dislocation of the kneecap or joint from its original position. Knee fracture from its joint and cause severe pain in deformation.

The people who already have a misalignment in their lower body affect more due to deformation. Consult with your orthopedic doctor immediately if you find a knee joint fracture. After considering the situation of the fracture he will either recommend you physical therapy or surgery.

Knee Buckling

After you suffered an injury Did it feel as if your knee gave way under it? This isn’t an immediate feeling of weakness or wobbliness. It was more like your shin and the thigh bone were not connecting or staying put. A knee that is buckling could indicate the possibility of an ACL tear or an injury to the cruciate ligament.

It may start with a slight crack or pop and you might feel it after a hard workout or soccer match. In any case, your knee may feel fragile or weak. The knee could give way briefly, which can be frightening because you may not believe your own ability to walk with confidence in the event of this happening. Based on Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon, this may be a sign of a tear in the patella or quadriceps tendon.

The tendons that are located in the knees’ front and provide plenty of support that helps keep you in a straight position. When they’re in good shape, you’re likely to be feeling weak in your knees and may not be in a position to walk. If this happens it could be time to undergo surgery.

Popping sound in your knee

You may hear a popping sound in your knee when you get injured. This sound is due to the tear of ligament tear or dislocation of the kneecap.

Ligament tissue is an essential part that surrounds the bones in a knee and is responsible for flawless movement. When you ligament tissue tear you not only hear a pop sound but it also hurt when you move.

The recovery of tear ligament tissues depends upon your age, health, your running shoes, and intensity of tear. The healthier younger you are the more quickly your recovery is. So if you hear popping sounds in your knee take it seriously and consults a doctor. He will either recommend you physical therapy or surgery.

Painful standing

Painful standing is the first issue that you face after any knee injury. This is due to the fracture, ligament tear, or bone contusion. You might experience this pain when you fall or get a minor injury.

You don’t need to be worried about it a lot if this pain goes after some moments. But if you can’t put your weight on your knee even after several hours of injury, it means something severe happens. In this situation, don’t try to carry weight on your knee on your own nor to do house chores. Take care of your home and focus on your recovery. Consult with a doctor for treatment.

Trouble in straightening of the leg

Trouble in the straightening of the leg is an alarming sign of severe knee injury. It occurs due to the dislocation of the Patella in a knee. During an accident, the patella dislocates from its original position and returns back immediately.

This quick motion affects the cartilage or ligaments severely that keep the patella in place. And as a result, you got trouble straightening your knee or leg.

In this case, you may be able to bear weight but can’t straight and lift your leg up. Use of knee immobilizer is preferred at first hand to prevent further damage and pain. However, must consult with your doctor as soon as possible if you are having this sign.

Knee injuries from falling on concrete

Concrete is a useful material that uses globally in the construction of roads, buildings, and even in home furnishing. But this functional material proved to be very dangerous when you fall on it and get injured. Let’s discuss the most common knee injuries from falling on concrete.

An abrasion:

An abrasion is the scrap skin that you get when your knee rub with a hard and rough surface like concrete. Some scraps are minor and heal on their own but some that are deep and bleed a lot require medical assistance.

Contusion:

A contusion is a black or blue spot on a knee that you get after falling on concrete. This spot is due to the leakage of blood from a blood vessel within the skin or muscle. This injury is mostly treated by home cold therapy.

Sprain:

A sprain injury is because of the overstretching or torn of ligament tissue in a knee. When your knee joint twists unusually from its original position, sprain causes. Consult with a doctor immediately if you have severe pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving your knee.

Torn meniscus:

The meniscus is the soft cartilage that prevents the femur and tibia to rub together and provide support to bones. The meniscus tears when your knee twisted sharply or you fall on concrete. Adults recover from this type of injury without surgery because of good health and age factor.

Knee dislocation: Knee dislocation is a severe type of injury and requires quick medical assistance. This injury occurs in drastic car accidents or when you fall from a specific height on concrete. However minor mishaps can also cause knee bone to dislocate.

Conclusion

Knee injuries are alarming and affect not only your health but your whole lifestyle. In this article, we try to answer your question how do I know if my knee injury is serious? If you have more questions in your mind related to it ask them below in the comment section. We love to answer your queries.