Knee injuries make up 41% of all sports injuries.These injuries can prove irreversible and highly risky, causing permanent damage to the athlete’s joints, or they can be temporary but still serious. Many are due to contact, sprains, or falls and require intensive treatment, surgery, and physical therapy to get back on track.
The most common sports knee injuries we treat through knee surgery in Webster, Texas, include those described below.
Sprains
You might be surprised to learn that you can easily sprain your knee too! This is similar to a tear and can happen when fibers in knee ligaments overstretch or are torn apart. Knee sprains are one of the most painful sports knee injuries and may require surgery to repair the torn fibers. However, you might also be told to rest and perform physical therapy-based movements and let the sprain heal on its own time, because a sprained knee can get worse if overworked.
Soft tissue tears
Tears in your soft tissues are also pretty common sports knee injuries. Several soft tissues in your knees, including ligaments, the meniscus, and tendons, help maintain flexibility, range of motion, and stability. These tissues are prone to tears, resulting in injuries that you might be familiar with, including ACL tears, meniscus tears, and more.
Again, these tears can be treated with rest and recovery, as well as sports therapy, but in more extreme cases, they will require surgical repairs and restoration to keep them from reoccurring.
Fractures
Athletes who’ve experienced knee fractures know how brutal they are. A broken kneecap will almost always call for surgical repairs and can cause lifelong debility, taking you out of the game for good if you’re not careful. It’s crucial to focus on adequate rest and healing as well as long-term management and protection to ensure a fracture does not happen again.
Dislocations
Dislocation is a common and painful—but not always serious—sports knee injury. This is not to downplay how dangerous a dislocated knee can be and how terribly it hurts, but in most cases, non-surgical intervention and thorough physical therapy can play a major role in recovery and healing.
A dislocated knee should not be taken lightly and will demand downtime for recovery, but with help from trained sports medicine doctors and therapists, depending on your condition, you can recover and get back into your normal activities.
Houston Physicians Hospital Webster TX website provides top orthopedic services including Knee Surgery Webster TX. Visit our website to find an orthopedic specialist or sports medicine physician who is right for you. Then click on their profile to contact them and schedule an appointment directly with their office. With the right physician in your corner, you can get the right treatment for your sports knee injuries.