12th August 2024

Knee Injuries in Sports: Expert Corner with Mr. James Hepburn

During the summer months, whether you are enjoying the sunny weather abroad or savouring the few days of sunshine in Ireland, you are more likely to be outside and active. While physical activity is excellent for our overall health and wellbeing, it also increases the risk of sustaining orthopaedic injuries.

Knee injuries are among the most common orthopaedic sporting injuries and can take various forms including joint tears, ankle sprains, hamstring injuries, ligament injuries, groin strains, and more. Taking necessary measures before engaging in any sporting activities is crucial in preventing knee injuries from occurring. Should you sustain an injury to your knee, certain symptoms can indicate if you should seek medical attention and treatment. Your care team will discuss with you the best treatment pathway suited to your needs.

What can I do to prevent sustaining a knee injury while playing sports?

Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a casual sports enthusiast, by dedicating at least 15 minutes to warm up before partaking in any form of physical activity, you can significantly lower your chances of sustaining an injury.

A warm-up, performed at a lower pace and intensity than regular exercise, helps to widen your blood vessels, ensuring your muscles are supplied with oxygen, and raises your body temperature, increasing muscle flexibility. In short, warm-up helps to prepare your body for more intense exercise.

Another tip for reducing your chances of sustaining an injury is to know your limitations. Although you might have been able to play sports intensely in the past, it may not necessarily mean your body is able to jump straight back into that level of physical activity. Preparing an exercise plan to gradually adjust to increased physical activity over a number of weeks is a good practice.

When should I seek medical attention after sustaining an injury to the knee?

Accidents may still occur, whether you have taken preventative measures or not. Fortunately, most common knee injuries can be treated with adequate rest and physiotherapy. However, certain symptoms can indicate that you should seek advice from a medical professional as soon as possible. These symptoms include:

Swelling immediately after injury does not subside and restricts joint movement
Swelling the day after an injury
Extreme pain / difficulty moving around
Severe bruising

If you are in pain, or carrying an injury, playing sports should be put on pause until you are feeling better. Continued activity may lead to worsening of your existing injury and potentially prolong the recovery time.

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Is it true that women were found to be more prone to orthopaedic injuries compared to men?

Yes, women in sports were found to sustain more orthopaedic injuries than their male counterparts. In fact, the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears among female players was 3-6 times higher, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine1. Although the exact cause for this is yet to be discovered, initial research suggests that it may be due to differences in anatomy, hormonal changes, and gender disparities within sports and women’s access to high-quality training facilities, sports medicine research, and rehabilitation.

What are some of the treatment options available to treat a knee injury?

Everyone’s journey to recovery is different and will depend on your level of injury, pain levels, overall health, and personal recovery goals. The first step to treating any orthopaedic injury is rest and, if recommended, physiotherapy. Surgery is never the first course of action, but rather the last resort if all other holistic and non-surgical approaches have proven unsuccessful in alleviating pain and healing your injury.

Should your pain persist following rest and physiotherapy, your consultant may recommend an injection to the knee. Injections are a simple way to manage pain and improve recovery outcomes, as they may enable you to partake in physiotherapy. Different types of injections may be recommended depending on your injury, including:

Steroid: used to reduce inflammation around the joint.
Hyaluronic acid: acts as a lubricant, preventing bones from rubbing against each other. This type of injection can mixed with a steroid injection to combine their benefits.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP): used to stimulate healing and enhance repair of soft tissue and cartilage.

If surgery is the recommended treatment pathway for you, your consultant will discuss the best options suited to your needs and goals.

The above content was provided by Mr. James Hepburn, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Mater Private Network in Cork.

¹British Journal of Sports Medicine

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