What are knee ligaments and what are their injuries?

Ligaments are bands of tough, elastic tissue that connect bones to each other and provide strength and stability to the joint. In the same way, Knee ligaments are the elastic bands of connective tissue that hold the knee together. There can be various causes of knee ligament injuries including an injury caused by an accident or while playing sports, etc. When ligaments are injured, the knee joint may become unstable. A damaged ligament may limit proper knee movement and may cause an inability to turn, twist, or pivot the leg.  

There are four major ligaments in the knee that connect the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shin bone). They are as follows:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL):  This ligament lies in the center of the knee. It controls the rotation & forward movement of the tibia (shin bone).
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL): This ligament lies in the center of the knee. It controls the backward movement of the tibia (shin bone).
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL): This ligament provides stability to the inner knee.
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL): This ligament provides stability to the outer knee.

What are the symptoms of a knee ligament injury?

The symptoms of a ligament injury may include the following:

•   Sudden and severe pain
•   You may hear a popping sound when the injury occurs  
•  Swelling in the knee   
•   Inability to move knees as you generally do
•   Feeling like looseness in the joint
•   Inability to put weight on the joint without pain or any weight at all

What is the treatment of a knee ligament injury?

 Treatment may include:

• Muscle-strengthening exercises
• Medicines such as ibuprofen
• Usage of Ice pack to reduce swelling
• Usage of protective knee brace during exercise
• Surgery

How can you prevent an injury to the knee ligament?

It is usually difficult to prevent knee ligament injuries but some precautions can be taken to reduce their occurrence. These include the following:

• Make sincere attempts to your thigh muscles strong with the help of regular stretching and strengthening.
• Try to maintain flexibility.
• Before taking part in rigorous exercise or physical activity, warm up your body with light activities.
• Do not make rapid changes in your workout. Make changes slowly and gradually increase the weight.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr. Bharani Kumar Dayanandam
Mail Us : info.chennaiortho.com@gmail.com
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Regeneration of Cartilage

Cartilage acts as a kind of connective tissue in our body. The unique structure of cartilage makes it a flexible tissue but it is also very strong. It helps in keeping the motion of joints smooth as it coats the bone surfaces and acts as a cushion against force or impact. There are three types of cartilage in the body-elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage. 

What causes damage to cartilage?

An injury or regular wear and tear can cause damage to cartilage tissues. If not treated timely, the damage can lead to arthritis. Unlike other tissues, cartilage doesn’t have a supply of blood and due to this, the damage that is done to cartilage cannot be repaired by the body.

How does the Regeneration of Cartilage work?

Once we reach adulthood, the repair of cartilage doesn’t work very well within the body, thankfully medical innovations have led to the regeneration of cartilage outside the body. In this process, rather than making use of an artificial implant, a natural way of healing the cartilage by using the cells of the patient is adopted. This can greatly help in regaining the normal function of the affected joint. Cultured cells are grown in a medical lab and are then injected with the aim to replace the dysfunctional or unhealthy cells.

How is the Regeneration of Cartilage done?

Small cuts or incisions are made in the bone to extract cartilage biopsy from a portion that may be considered a little less important. The procedure is generally conducted through arthroscopy. The extracted cartilage is sent to the lab where cells that match the size are constructed. This takes a few weeks. Once the cultured cells are ready, they are implanted through a small incision. 

What to expect after the procedure?

After the successful implant of cartilage, a routine programme of rehabilitation is followed. Most patients can resume their everyday activities within 2 months. However, the doctor would be the best judge and the given instructions must be followed strictly. 

Regeneration of cartilage is a process that involves a low risk of infection or disease transmission as there is no foreign material that goes inside. It can greatly help in preventing the progression of osteoarthritis which can further avert the need for a joint replacement.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr. Bharani Kumar Dayanandam
Mail Us : info.chennaiortho.com@gmail.com
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Five common knee injuries

The human knee is the largest and the most complex joint in the human body. It also happens to be the most vulnerable and heavily used one too, and hence, more prone to injuries. 

Problems of the knee can be either injury, mechanical problems, arthritis of various types and problems caused by other health issues. Knee injuries often involve damage to the various components that make up the joint, like the bone and muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

Five of the most common knee injuries are:

1. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries: this is one of the four ligaments connecting the thigh and the shin bones and an injury is when a tear appears in the ligament, weakening it. This is a very common sports injury and happens when a sudden and violent change of direction of movement occurs.
2. Tearing of the Meniscus: the meniscus is a piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion or shock absorber between the thigh and shin bones. It is tough rubbery cartilage, and if the knee is suddenly twisted when weight is put on it, it can be torn or damaged. 
3. Fractures: as the bones of the knee, including the knee cap, are among the most exposed bones in the body, they can be easily damaged or fractured, if any short, sharp force is applied to them, like a fall or a hard bump into a harder surface. This is worse for people with osteoporosis, a condition where the bone is weak and brittle, as a fracture can occur for seemingly no reason at all.
4. Bursitis: The bursae are small liquid-filled bags that cushion the muscles, tendons and bones near the various joints. Bursitis is when the bursae become inflamed due to another injury in the same area.
5. Tendinitis / Tendonitis or in our case Patellar Tendinitis: Tendinitis is a condition where one or more of the tendons, the thick fibrous tissue attaching the bones to the muscles, become irritated and inflamed. The patellar tendon is the one which connects the muscles on the front of the thigh to the shin bone. This too is a very common sports injury.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr. Bharani Kumar Dayanandam

Mail Us : info.chennaiortho.com@gmail.com

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Knee Replacement for your better Mobility

The joints of our body are critical for our movement and everyday activities, and among them the knee joint is one of the strongest and most important. Wear and tear, illness, or injury can damage the cartilage around your knee joint and hinder your movement.  

Total knee replacement surgery or knee arthroplasty should be considered for those patients whose knee joints have been damaged by either progressive arthritis, trauma, or other rare destructive diseases of the joint. Such patients suffer from severe knee pain, swelling and even bowing of the leg which in turn limits the everyday activities. During knee replacement surgery, the surgeon takes damaged cartilage and a part of the bone out of the knee joint and replaces them with an artificial joint (prosthesis) made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers. A plastic spacer is placed between the prosthesis which ensures smooth movement of the new joint. 

Patients should have a discussion with an expert doctor on the risks and benefits before making decision about knee replacement. Post surgery, it is recommended to be active by moving around your house, taking walks, and doing the exercises as suggested by your physical therapist as too much rest can slow your recovery down. You can expect long-lasting results by following your doctor's guidelines as most knee replacements have good prognosis and lasts for an average of 20 years.

Blog Reviewed By: Dr. Bharani Kumar Dayanandam

Mail Us : info.chennaiortho.com@gmail.com
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