Some of the most common knee injuries occur during high demand sports. Athletes who participate in sports that involve sudden stops or changes in direction, jumping and landing, or direct blows to the knees such as a tackle all increase the risk of causing ligament tension. This can result in sprains, tears or injuries to their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL), causing pain, instability or swelling to the knee.
High risk sports include:
- Soccer
- Rugby
- Basketball
- Golf
- Tennis
- Downhill skiing
How do you know if you have an ACL injury?
ACL injury signs and symptoms will vary from person to person and for an acute injury, can include the following:
- A “pop”. You may have heard or felt your knee “pop”.
- Immediate swelling of the knee.
- Knee pain.
- Instability – a feeling of the knee giving way or “buckling”
If you have injured your ACL, you may require surgery depending on the severity of your injury or your activity level. We’ve previously outlined the different degrees of an ACL injury, and more importantly some steps on how to help prevent this from happening to athletes in the future.
If you’re concerned with the health of your ligaments and joints, it is important to get professional advice for injury management. Combining his surgical experience and prior physiotherapy training with his passion for sport, Dr Shidiak’s specialises in assisting patients with sports related injuries. Please get in touch with with us at 02 9806 3333 to arrange for a consultation.
