Our knees play an important role in our mobility and comfort in various activities, and we often don’t notice them until there is something going wrong. Each part of the knee — muscles, ligaments, joints, tissues, and bones — works in concert to allow for smooth and fluid motion, but damage to any one of these components can throw your motion out of alignment and cause a cascade of injuries.
The ligaments in your knees play an important role, and damage to them can have a serious impact on your mobility. When any of the three ligaments in the knee is hurt, it can damage the bones, muscles, and tissues surrounding them and can also lead to back problems, hip pain, and more. Working with a medical professional to get a better sense of the source of your knee pain and how to correct it is an important step towards getting your mobility back without pain and discomfort.
Common Causes of Ligament Damage in Knees
Ligaments connect the bones to each other, and the ligaments in the knee play an important role in keeping your legs moving in a natural way. The knees bear the majority of our body’s weight when we are standing, and the ligaments supporting them must be strong. However, these strong ligaments are not indestructible, and people encounter many limits with these important joints.
Torsion
In action sports like soccer or lacrosse, athletes make rapid changes of direction that can lead to the knee twisting forcefully and causing damage to the ligaments.
Bending in the Wrong Direction
The knee can be bent in the wrong direction or hyperextended, either backward or sideways. The ligaments and other tissues in the knee are not designed for this direction of motion, which can cause serious or permanent damage.
Hard Landing
Landing from a high jump or fall can put too much strain on the ligaments all at once and cause tearing or other injuries that must be corrected with medical intervention.
Direct Impact
A direct impact like an object hitting the knee, such as in a car accident or a sports collision, can damage the ligaments. Immediate medical attention is required to repair the damage.
When Is It Time For Knee Ligament Reconstruction?
If you have a torn ligament that needs to be removed, doctors can take another ligament — typically from either a donor or another part of your body — and replace it with the damaged one. Not all ligament injuries require surgery, so it is important to work with a doctor who can review your situation and design a treatment or recovery plan intended to get you back to your daily activities without pain.
If you have damage to a ligament but can cope with the pain — such as if you do not use it for intense physical activity — a doctor may decide against a surgical fix since you may be able to perform your daily tasks without difficulty.
Regardless of your situation, working with a doctor is the most critical first step to ensure that you get the care you need. 1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service that can connect you with an experienced and certified professional in your area.