Knee Ligament Injury Essay -- essays research papers

Knee Ligament Injury   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Your knees are mobile joints that allow you to walk, climb, sit, and kneel. Ligaments stabilize your knee joints for these movements. When you injure a ligament, it may feel as though your knee won’t even hold you up. Fortunately, you and your healthcare team can work together to return you to an active lifestyles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two ligaments in the knees are most likely to be injured. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is in the center of the knee. It is often injured by a twisting motion, such as pivoting wrong or falling awkwardly. This unfortunately is one of the ligaments that I tore. The other ligament, the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is on the inside of the knee. It is normally injured from a blow to the side of the knee. This is common in contact sports such as football and soccer. Injury to either ligament causes pain and weakens the knee joint. Without treatment, the patient may develop many other knee problems that can have lasting effects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proper care can make the knee joint stable again. It takes teamwork: you, your doctor, and your physical therapist all working together. Before the knee can be treated, an evaluation is needed. After treatment, the patient plays a large role in the recovery of the knee. An evaluation helps the doctor know how severe the particular injury is. It also points to your best treatment options. The sooner the knee is evaluated. The sooner the patient can be treated, and the better the chance of full recovery. Unfortunately I was unable to get my knee repaired right away. Dr. Freddie Fu informed me that my knee will return to 95% capacity of what it was at before the tear. He informed me that 90% of people never return to 100% utilization of the knee. Dr. Fu also told me that since I am young, active, and healthy this surgery does not present any long term problems with my knee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A knee ligament injury can be treated in one of two ways: nonsurgically or surgically. Your treatment depends on how severe the individual’s injury is and how active this person hopes to be afterwards. Rehabilitation is a major part of your treatment whether or not you have surgery. I am scheduled to have surgery May 19, 2005 which means I am in for an intensive 6 month rehabilitation assignment after surgery i... ... actually re-injure the knee. A slight pull in the muscles is what is to be felt, but no pain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of rehabilitation, different exercises may be started. Instead of working on certain muscles groups that directly affect the knee, practicing movements that occur natural is beneficial. This prepares the person to return to the chosen sport, work, or pastime. An example of a movement would be a football player running different pass patterns or figures 8’s. Using rubber tubing is exactly what Dr. Fu recommends doing. He explained how hopping sideways with the tube around the waist at slight tension can prepare the knee for sideways motions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a beginning and an end to the formal rehabilitation processes. But, the patient must protect the knee and maintain strength for the rest of there lifetime. Wearing a brace is essential for high-risk involvements and movements, such as the twisting and turning motions common in sports. The physical therapist upon departure of their clinic will give advice and pamphlets on what should be done on a daily basis. Following these directions lead to a healthy, pain-free life.