It is a very unfortunate side effect of living an active lifestyle, but knee problems are something many many people have to deal with. Luckily we have so many knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale who specialize on how to help people recover. An ACL reconstruction on my left knee really can open one’s eyes to knee problems and in the years since can leave you more aware of knee problems and issues that can arise with the knee joints. This article will talk about some of the problems that can present themselves after knee injuries in the short term and long term on the knee joints and surrounding tendons and ligaments. There will also be some advice on helping these problems through strength and rehab techniques. The best place for anyone suffering from a knee problem is to go see a knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale.
What is the Knee Joint?
The first question that must be answered is what the knee joint actually is. The Knee is a hinge joint between the very large femur and tibia bones of the legs. It allows for mainly flexion (bending) and extension (straitening). It is held in place structurally by 4 major ligaments and tendons. It is also lubricated and supported by synovial fluid in bursa sacks, and cushioned by a medial and lateral meniscus. Because of the amount of force the knee receives and due to the low amounts of rotation the joint allows injuries do occur often. A knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale will tell you that ankle strength and surround muscle strength will both go a long way in knee injury prevention.
Cartilage Loss and Floating Cartilage
When an injury occurs, one of the first things in the knee to become damaged or torn is cartilage. Articular cartilage is in the knee on the bone heads of the femur, tibia, and behind the patella bone as well. Cartilage is in place to protect and cushion bone heads from grinding against one another. When cartilage is torn it can become floating cartilage and be packed into the joint space in the knee which may cause the knee to feel “locked up” as people describe it. Cartilage issues are something people deal with, especially those who are aging or have had an injury to their knees. The only real fix for cartilage issues is a scope procedure where a knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale goes in and scrapes away damaged cartilage or removes floating cartilage.
Local Swelling
Another side effect of knee injuries is the issue of localized swelling. Localized means that swelling only takes place in certain places of the knee. When a person injures his or her knee, one of the side effects of using the knee again when it heals is swelling. If cartilage damage or meniscus damage has occurred, it is very common for the knee to swell on the joint lines where the medial and lateral meniscus is found. For example, because of the operations and old injuries, people have gone through in their life when they run and condition with their football players their knee tends to swell up on the outside joint lines because of previous meniscus damage. Localized swelling can prove to be very tricky to get out of the joint. Ice massage and elevation are the best courses of action, but it can take weeks to get localized swelling out of the knee.
Weakness in the Quadriceps and Hamstrings and Surrounding Tendons
Many different injuries can occur to the knee, and one of the main issues resulting from these injuries is weakness in the muscles around the knee. Whether or not a knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale diagnosed an actual injury you will need to do a good job of strengthening all of the surrounding leg muscles. For example, after my ACL reconstruction, the BMO of my quadriceps muscle suffered from significant muscle atrophy. It took many months to rebuild that muscle but once I did my leg felt significantly better afterward. The Hamstring tendons can also weaken the strength of the Hamstring muscles themselves if they are hit or inflamed. If there is swelling present then ice treatment and elevation once again will help. If it is just muscle weakness with no swelling then specific exercises need to be performed to strengthen the muscles around the knee to make the entire joint feel better.
Loss of Joint Space
All of the injuries that have been written about up to this point are all sudden movement exertion injuries. These injuries, unfortunately, pile up and can take a toll long-term on the knee joint. Over time this critical space begins to deteriorate and wear down. Eventually, over time this space will be gone and so will the lubricating elements, and you will begin to feel discomfort from the bone on bone while using the knee joint. This is when you might experience localized swelling and overall soreness of the knee. This is something that very active people begin to experience as they begin to get into their middles ages of their 50’s and 60’s. One of the very sad realities is that a lot of people will need to get their knees replaced. The average knee replacement now lasts about 10 to 15 years, and the average age of people who get their knees replaced is around 65 years old. So if you are a very active person take care of your knees so that if a knee replacement is in your future it won’t need to happen until your at least 65 or older. That knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale will be around.
Conclusion
At the end of the day people who are very active are unfortunately going to have a knee issue at some point or another. If you understand how the knee works and potentially how to treat some ailments in the knee, it will be very beneficial in the long run. Compression while walking like an ace bandage or some type of sleeve are good things to use whether injured or not. Ice on the joint for about 20 minutes is still the best way to help alleviate swelling. Elevating the knee joint above the heart is also a good practice to help control swelling. It is our hope that reading this article has opened your eyes to knee injuries and also given some insight into both injury prevention and treating an injury if they do occur. Visit a knee doctor Ft. Lauderdale to minimize your pain!