Genetics do play a role in knee injuries, however, there are some things you can do to try and prevent, or minimize, your likelihood of getting one. No one wants to be that athlete that has to sit the bench. By using prevention techniques, you can continue to play your sport on the field, and stay off the bench!
Types of Knee Injuries
- Sprain- The stretching or tearing of a ligament.
- Strain- The tearing of a muscle or tendon---partially or completely.
- Tendonitis- Irritation and inflammation of a tendon.
- Fractures- The cracking, breaking, or shattering of a bone---patella.
- Dislocations- The moving of the knee cap to the side.
- Tearing of Meniscus, ACL, MCL, LCL, or PCL---partially or fully.
- Unhappy Triad- The tearing of the meniscus, MCL, and ACL ligaments all at one time.
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease- A disease common for 10-13 year old athletes. It is a constant stress on the front end of the tibia.
- Patellar Tendon (Tendonitis)- Inflammation or injury to the patellar tendon. This can be caused by a repetitive movement ("Teens Health").
Sports & Their Common Knee Injuries
Athletes offer suffer knee injuries while playing sports. Here is a look at some sports and their common knee injury associated with it:
- Hockey- ACL, MCL, LCL
- Football- ACL, MCL, LCL
- Soccer- Patellar tendonitis, ACL
- Basketball- Patellar tendonitis, ACL
- Gymnastics- PCL
- Track- Patellar Tendonitis