DHMC Knee Injury Lecture Review: PART TWO

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS

All sport injuries should be avoided at all measures.   However at times sport related injuries are inevitable, which is why it is exceedingly necessary to practice safe and effectively to halt the unexpected.  DHMC Knee Injury Lecture Review PART ONE (find part one online at www.uvac-swim.org/fitness) covered the essentials of knee anatomy and common injury causes.  This continued piece to part one will advance to proper knee injury prevention techniques and safe ways athletes and coaches can keep knees safe.

·         Q ANGLE: Part One introduced a very common concern, the Q angle; an improper knee tort caused from a wider hip structure.  The Q Angle is generally seen in females, and contributes mostly to ACL, MCL, and Patellar Tendon injuries. 

Improper tort can be improved by strengthening the Abductors, Gluteus Maximus and Minimums, Quadriceps, and Abdominals.  

Example Exercises

                                                                Lateral Band Walks: Abductor and Gluts

Squats: Quads and Gluts

Plank: Abdominals

Ways to keep your knees safe: Major preventions

·         Proper warm-up:

Athletes and the general population will significantly benefit from a proper warm-up.  One journal study from the American Journal of Sports Medicine researched the role of warming-up and found that a proper warm-up can benefit the muscular system by increasing the elasticity of the muscle-tendon unit (The role of warm up In muscular injury prevention, 1988).  A proper warm-up will also increase the rate of blood flow, and helps eliminate lingering lactate acid.

·         Proper fitting equipment:

·         Pads

·         Helmet

·         Mouth guard

·         Well fitted cleats, or sneakers

·         Avoid overuse: gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of training.

·         Stay active year around: This will decrease your risk of in-season injuries.

·         Practice proper cutting, pivots, stops, and tackles:

Resources:

www.stopsportinjuries.org

Safran, M. Garrett, W. Seabar, A., Glisson, R., & Ribbeck, B. (1988). The role of warm-up in muscular injury prevention. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 123-129.