The torn bucket handle should not be removed from the knee, if at all possible. These types of tears are also essential to identify early on. In older athletes, a flap tear, or different types of meniscus tears typically occur. Not all locked knees will be found to have a bucket handle tear. So the sooner we start the treatment process, the better the outcome might be after a meniscus repair.Īlthough we discuss bucket handle tears here. The vast majority of bucket-handle tears can be repaired. You need that meniscus to protect the knee. The reason these tears are serious is that a large piece of the meniscus tears flips over and becomes stuck in the middle of the knee joint. A bucket handle tear is considered a serious knee injury and will require surgery to fix or repair the tear. The most common cause of a locked knee is a unique meniscus tear called a bucket handle tear. They may feel sharp knee pain when bending which can occur when these bucket handle meniscus tears move. Many athletes who have a locked knee will also find it very painful to bend the knee too. You cannot straighten it with the meniscus in that position. In others, a meniscus tear has flipped into the middle of the joint and is causing mechanical locking. In some patients, swelling and inflammation can prevent you from fully straightening the knee. There are different reasons a locked knee might occur. If you had a knee injury and you are not able to fully straighten the leg, you might have a “locked knee.” A locked knee is simply a knee that cannot fully straighten. Your Knee Is “Locked” And You Can’t Straighten It Depending on what we think you injured, we may consider rest, physical therapy, or surgery. The initial treatment will be a reliable examination to arrive at a diagnosis, which will be followed with an MRI to confirm the diagnosis. Many of these severe knee joint injuries should be evaluated sooner rather than later. The most important reason for seeing a sports medicine physician after an injury that causes swelling is to look for these most common severe injuries. Very few knee injuries will require a brace unless you want to use it for comfort. These knee joint injuries need to be evaluated for an X-ray. Crutches, icing, and elevation are beneficial in these cases. With any of the above issues, most of you will find it very difficult to walk without severe knee pain. Because patella dislocations are such a common sports injury we wrote this post to go into far more detail about them.
Patellar dislocations may hurt just as much as an ACL tear. That means that the kneecap will go back into place on its own. Most dislocated kneecaps will reduce spontaneously on the field. But most of you are surprised when we see you in the office and tell you that your kneecap dislocated. Patella (kneecap) dislocations are more common than you think. Over 70% of athletes with a swollen knee who felt a pop while running and pivoting will have an ACL tear or a patella dislocation.
Blood in the joint is called a hemarthrosis. The bleeding will stop, but the swelling will remain. In many cases, the swelling is due to blood. Swelling in the knee immediately or shortly after an injury is a common sign that indicates you may have sustained a serious knee injury. Five signs of a potentially serious knee injury: 1. In general, the most common and worrisome finding is immediate, significant swelling.Įven though most of the injuries I see in the office turn out to be mild, it is essential for you to know what the warning signs are to look for a potentially severe knee injury. This post will cover five signs to look for to help determine if you might have a severe knee injury. Both contact and non-contact knee injuries can be severe. Are these severe knee injuries? When should you consider seeing a Sports Medicine Doctor following a knee injury? Let’s go over 5 things that trained professionals look for to determine if your knee injury is serious.Īs an active athlete or competitor, you know that severe knee injuries are common. Perhaps you were struck by another player and have bruising, but no swelling. Your knee twists, you hear a pop, and now you have knee swelling and pain when trying to walk or with bending your knee.