Knee sprains are among the most common knee injuries. What are they exactly?

A knee sprain occurs when you damage one of the four ligaments in your knee. Sprains can range in severity, and depending on the severity of the injury, your ligament may be simply stretched, or it may be torn.

What else should you know about knee sprains? Read on for a few other facts.

Knee sprains and knee strains are similar but different.

Both injuries involve a part of the knee being stretched or torn, but a strain involves damage to the knee’s muscle or tendon. A sprain, on the other hand, affects the ligaments in the knee.

Knee sprains can affect any of the four knee ligaments.

The knee has four ligaments that work in coordination with each other — the medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). In some cases, a sprain may involve multiple ligaments.

There are three grades of knee sprains.

Grade 1 knee sprains occur when a knee ligament is stretched slightly. Grade 2 knee sprains are a more severe injury, where a knee ligament has partially torn, causing instability in the knee. Grade 3 knee sprains occur when a ligament is severely damaged, either tearing in two or separating from the bone.

Knee sprains are more likely with certain movements.

Knee sprains most often occur when the knee is twisted suddenly. This can occur when jumping, landing and pivoting in exercise or sporting activities, but it can also happen if you accidentally fall. Direct hits to the knee from the front, side or back, like in contact sports or a car accident, can also cause sprains.

Many knee sprains can be prevented.

If you’re being physically active, do so carefully. Learn proper form and technique, paying specific attention to movements that cause you to turn or pivot quickly. Wear sport-specific equipment when appropriate. Strengthen the leg muscles with exercise to provide your knee with extra stability, which can make sprains less likely.

Knee sprains can sometimes be managed at home.

Mild knee sprains, particularly Grade 1, can often be treated effectively using at-home care, including rest, icing, compression and elevation. In other cases, where the symptoms of a knee sprain like stiffness, pain, bruising or swelling are severe, medical attention may be needed. It’s important to seek medical care if you can’t place weight on the leg, experience worsening pain or have limited mobility.

Healing may take up to a year.

Grade 1 knee sprains can heal within two weeks to a month, Grade 2 sprains may take four to six weeks to heal, and Grade 3 sprains may require surgical repair. Following surgery, healing and the recovery of abilities may take a year or even longer.

Source: https://vistahealth.healthnewsforme.com/issue/campaign/article/59834/59841/knee-sprains-101/modern