Knee Pain

When there is damage to any of the surrounding ligaments, tendons, bone, cartilage or fluid around your knee, there are many kinds of injuries that can arise. Some of the most common are ACL injuries, fractures, meniscus tears, bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis and broken kneecaps. Ligament injuries in one of the four ligaments connecting your shinbone to your thigh bone such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) or PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) stem from a sudden twisting motion or direct impact respectively. Many ACL injuries occur in those that play sports like basketball or soccer. PCL injuries are typically caused by direct impact like a car accident or sports. The meniscus, a tough rubbery cartilage acting as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone can become torn from bearing weight or suddenly twisting the knee. Bursitis occurs when bursae, small sacs of fluid that cushion the knee joint become inflamed. With over 100 types of arthritis, many can affect the knee by wearing away cartilage. Other risk factors can include being overweight, lacking muscle strength and flexibility, certain sports such as skiing, basketball or running, labor intensive jobs such as construction or farming and previous injury.