Is it possible to sprain your knee

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Sign Me Up. In This Section. Conditions We Treat Knee Sprain. Knee Sprain Knee sprains can be significant injuries that occur from a stretch or tear of the ligaments in and around the knee. What Is a Knee Sprain? Ligaments are string-like bands of tissue that connect your bones and create stability for the joint. What Causes a Knee Sprain? Knee sprains can be caused by non-contact twisting of the knee. The bones they hold in place are your femur, tibia, and patella. Your knee has four ligaments that work in unison to structure your knee and allow for movement.

A sprain can occur to any of the ligaments. The four ligaments are:. A sudden twisting of the knee joint may cause a knee sprain. This may happen when you run, jump, and land, or stop or change direction suddenly. Knee sprains commonly occur during physical activity, but can occasionally happen at other times.

Physical activities that place pressure on your knee joints and ligaments are the most likely to cause a sprain. Common activities for knee sprains include football, basketball, hockey, and skiing. Direct hits to the knee may also cause a sprain. The PCL controls backward movement of the tibia, or shin bone. Collateral ligaments are on the sides of the knee. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee.

This is the ligament that gives stability to the outer knee. The lateral collateral ligament, or LCL, is on the outside of the knee. Doctors consider any injury to a ligament in the knee as a sprain, and they use a grading system to diagnose the severity of the sprain:. The symptoms of a sprained knee ligament may differ, depending on which ligament a person has damaged. If an injury affects one of the collateral ligaments, the knee may pop and buckle, which can cause pain and swelling.

If a person has injured a cruciate ligament, they typically hear a popping sound as the injury occurs. The leg may then buckle as a person attempts to stand on it. Swelling may also occur, usually within 24—36 hours. The pain is on the outside of the knee if an LCL injury happens. A sprain affecting the knee occurs when the knee experiences a hard muscle contraction or direct contact with something.

These situations can happen when a person changes direction too quickly when running, or by playing sports. The ACL is the most common knee ligament to experience an injury. An ACL injury can occur when a person makes a sharp change in direction, typically at high speed. It can also occur when the knee experiences a blunt force, for example, during a football tackle.

The PCL often becomes injured during direct contact to the front of the knee during activities, such as a football tackle. MCL injuries can also occur if an individual lands incorrectly.