What Are the Most Common Sports Knee Injuries?

For many of the patients seen by Yorkshire Knee Clinic’s knee doctors, sport isn’t only a great way to keep fit – it’s a way of life. When injury gets in the way of your sport we know how frustrating that can be.

Our sports injury doctors in Yorkshire can help you get back on track, pitch, course or piste as quickly and successfully as possible. But how do you know when an injury needs medical attention? Here’s a quick guide to some common sporting knee injuries. Follow the links to find out more.

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ACL injury

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries happen mostly in sports which require sharp changes in direction, sudden twists or pivots. They are frequent hazards in team sports such as football, rugby or netball and can be a common skiing injury. ACL damage tends to leave the knee feeling unstable, as though it may give way, particularly when you twist. You may experience some pain and swelling but often ACL injuries can go undiagnosed for a long time – which can compromise the success of any later treatment.

If you think you may have experienced an ACL injury, swift diagnosis is essential.

Find out more about ACL injuries or talk to our Yorkshire sports injury specialists now.
 

Pain around the kneecap

Patella (kneecap) pain can take several forms. Patella dislocation is a common hazard of contact sports such as football and rugby and can leave the muscles surrounding the kneecap weakened and an important stabilising ligament damaged.

Pain around the kneecap is a common complaint and not confined to sporting injuries but can be worsened by regular flexing. As a result it can make visiting the gym a painful experience.

Depending on your specific injury surgery may not be required, but you should seek an examination.

Find out more about kneecap injuries or talk to our Yorkshire sports injury doctors now.
 

Other ligament injuries

Although the ACL is the headline-grabbing ligament when it comes to sporting injuries (possibly because of the lengthy recovery spells involved), there are several more knee ligaments which can be damaged in the course of sporting activity.

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is most commonly damaged when you suffer an impact to the front of the knee (for example, in a collision with a goalpost). Medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage is the most common ligament injury of all and can result in pain and swelling on the inner aspect of the knee. And serious sporting injuries can result in multiple ligament damage, where several ligaments are damaged at once.

Not all ligament injuries will require surgery but some may. As with all ligament damage, the faster the diagnosis and treatment, the more complete the recovery is likely to be.

Find out more about ligament injuries or talk to the sporting knee injury specialists at Yorkshire Knee Clinic now.