Your knee is involved in most movements. It enables you to sit and stand, walk and run, jump and land. It’s especially important in allowing you to pivot and change your direction rapidly, hopefully outmanoeuvring your opponent on the field.
Life and sport place high demands on your knee. The most common knee injuries include:
Sports like football, netball, basketball, skiing or roller derby involve quick twists, turns or jumps that may make you more vulnerable to an ACL injury.
Life itself can wear down the knee too. The cartilage that covers the bones can degenerate due to age or previous injuries. That can trigger osteoarthritis of the knee, leading to a stiff, painful joint.
The most common signs of a knee injury are pain and swelling. You may also feel like your knee is catching or locking. Particularly with an ACL injury, your knee may feel very unstable and you may not trust it to hold your weight.
Injuries often involve more than one part of your knee. It’s common to see patients with complex knee injuries involving 2, 3 or even all 4 of its ligaments. Such injuries are usually sustained through high-impact trauma in a fall or car crash or on the sports field.
I’ve often performed surgery on patients who’ve simultaneously injured both their anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments and one of their collateral ligaments. These surgeries are intricate, complicated and lengthy, requiring a high level of skill.
Most of my practice is focused on the knee. I have a special interest in ACL injuries and multi-ligament knee injuries, which often require complex surgery.
A common and painful injury, usually caused by pivoting around a planted foot.
A large, thick ligament at the back of your knee that may be injured by a heavy fall or collision.
This ligament is easily injured in many sports when the knee is forced inwards into an excessive ‘knock knee’ position.
Injury to a group of ligaments and structures that stabilise the outer knee and connect the femur (thigh bone) to the lower leg bones.
Complex injuries usually resulting from high-energy trauma that damages more than one of the knee’s stabilising ligaments.
Osteoarthritis results in cartilage destruction and alters the bony surfaces and ligaments of the knee, making movement difficult and painful.
For all appointments and enquiries, please contact us on: Tel: 08 9212 4292. Email: radicadmin@perthortho.com.au Alternatively, please call the switchboard on 08 9212 4200 and ask for Dr Radic’s rooms.
