The knee is a complex joint and one of the most easily injured. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, knee pain is the reason for millions of doctor visits every year.
At Inova Sports Medicine, we provide accurate diagnosis and expert treatment for a wide variety of knee injuries. Our fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians and other specialists offer the latest treatments and technology, so you can get back to the activities you love, pain free.
ACL tears are one of the most common knee injuries. The ACL controls forward movement and rotation of the shinbone, so ACL injuries can happen in sports with sudden cuts and pivots, like football, soccer or basketball. Learn more about knee ligament treatment and our comprehensive ACL treatment options.
Treatment for ACL injury involves:
Articular cartilage cushions the bones that meet at the knee (the patella, shinbone and thighbone) to prevent friction. Knee cartilage may tear when the knee is twisted while bearing weight.
Treatment for articular cartilage injury may include:
The LCL stabilizes the outside of your knee. Tears usually occur when a sudden force is put on the outside of the knee joint.
Treatment for an LCL injury may involve:
The MCL supports the inside of your knee and is commonly injured in high-impact or cutting sports like skiing, soccer and football. An injury to the MCL is often referred to as an MCL sprain.
Treatment for MCL injury includes:
The PCL controls the shinbone’s backward movements and is most often injured by a direct blow to the knee while it’s bent.
Treatment for PCL injury may involve:
The meniscus is a cushioning cartilage between the thighbone (femur) and the shinbone (tibia). It typically gets injured when the knee is twisted while bearing weight on it.
Treatment for a torn meniscus includes:
Common in growing adolescents, Osgood-Schlatter’s causes inflammation where the kneecap (patellar tendon) attaches to the shinbone. It often occurs in children who play sports that involve running and jumping.
Treatment for Osgood-Schlatter disease may involve:
The kneecap connects the muscles of your thigh to your shinbone. Normally, your kneecap fits into a groove in your knee. Kneecap instability occurs when your kneecap slides out of the groove. This can result in a kneecap dislocation (subluxation). You may experience knee pain, especially when sitting, or find that your knees can no longer support your weight. You may also experience instability or “shifting of the knee cap.”
Treatment for kneecap instability:
We know you are eager to return to your active lifestyle. After treating your knee injury, our specialists will help you regain your strength and can teach you specific knee exercises to help reduce your risk of knee injuries. Our team includes physical therapists and athletic trainers who are certified in Sportsmetrics™, a national ACL-injury prevention program.
You can help prevent knee injuries by: