Muscle & Connective Tissue Injuries
Muscle and connective tissue injuries include sprains and strains, which are the most common injuries for people engaged in physical sports. A sprain is an injury of a ligament, which connects our bones to each other. A strain is an injury that can occur to a muscle or a tendon, which connects our bones to our muscles. If you have a muscle or connective tissue injury, you will likely experience pain, swelling, and limited movement of that body part. Sometimes these injuries are evident as soon as they occur, while others take time to develop. Usually rest helps to heal the area, and ice can reduce swelling. If these remedies dont help you, physical therapy or surgery may be necessary for a full recovery.
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- Q How should a medial meniscus tear be treated?
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A medial meniscus tear is typically treated with surgery. An orthopedic surgeon has a few options to treat the tear with surgery: removal of the medial meniscus, trimming the remaining uninjured part, or stitching it back together. Treatment options vary... Full Answer
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- Q How is the medial collateral ligament (MCL) injured?
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The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is injured by a valgus or rotational stress. A valgus stress is a force that pushes the knee in and the lower leg out. A valgus stress is caused by being hit on the outside of the knee. Rotational force will... Full Answer
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- Q How can I tell if I injured my medial collateral ligament (MCL)?
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A sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is characterized by pain on the inside of the knee, decreased ability to straighten and bend the knee, possible decrease in knee strength, and possible feeling of the knee being loose. It is common... Full Answer
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- Q How is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) commonly injured?
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The main cause of injury of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is the twisting of the knee. Actions that can create this twisting are quickly changing directions, slowing down too quickly, or coming down from a jump awkwardly. This answer... Full Answer
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- Q How do I know if I have injured my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)?
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An ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) sprain is characterized by a pop associated with feeling the knee joint slide followed by inability to walk normally, swelling of the knee joint, fluid buildup around the knee, difficulty straightening the... Full Answer
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- Q Why are females more at risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury?
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Females are more likely to sprain their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) than males due to many physiological differences and factors. The ACL itself is smaller and more lax or loose in females than in males; some other areas of flexibility or... Full Answer
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- Q What are some risk factors for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprain?
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Risk factors for ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) sprains can be broken down into two categories, extrinsic (factors outside the knee) and intrinsic (factors within the knee). Extrinsic factors include an athlete’s muscular strength,... Full Answer
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- Q How can I reduce my risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries?
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You can reduce your risk for ACL and other knee injuries by properly working through stability, strength, and power training phases and by incorporating exercises that work in multiple planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes) and... Full Answer
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- Q What is ACL injury rehabilitation?
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Your doctor or physical therapist will design a physical rehabilitation (rehab) program for you that takes into consideration your normal level of activity, physical fitness and extent of your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. A rehab program... Full Answer
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- Q What causes Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome?
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IT Band syndrome (ITBS) is a result of friction between the IT band and the lateral femoral epicondyle (bony point at the lower end of the femur or thigh bone). Repeated knee flexion and extension causes the bursa (a small fluid filled sac)... Full Answer
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