Knee Ligament Injuries
How does ligament damage happen?
Too much strain put on the knee. It is usually a twisting or turning action which damages the ligaments. Direct contact of the knee from opponents can also cause damage to the ligaments.
It can also be simple bad luck - England fast bowler Simon Jones twisted his knee after his studs got caught in the turf as he slid to retrieve the ball in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane in 2003.
Who has suffered in the past?
Jonny Wilkinson suffered knee ligament damage. Footballers Marc Overmars, Robert Pires, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, Ronaldo, and Ruud van Nistelrooy have also had knee problems.
How many ligaments are there in the knee?
There are four main ligaments in the knee - one on either side and two across the middle.
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
When can you return to playing sports?
You can have a minor pull which heals within a few weeks, or a major pull which takes between one and three months. If it is completely torn you could be out for a year. Treatment Most cases do not require operations, but occasionally people run into major trouble.
The medial ligament is linked to the cartilage so further problems can result. Physiotherapy is used as the medial ligament, being outside the joint, heals more easily than the internal cruciate ligaments. Cruciate injuries, however, require surgery to repair the damaged ligament and several hundred such operations are carried out on sports stars each year.
Don’t forget wearing the Pflexx Knee Exerciser will strengthen and support the muscles around your knee joint.