Knee injuries can account for about 25% of the total number of sports injuries and are the most prevalent site for sports injuries. This is due to the fact that the knee joint is an important bone joint in the lower extremities of the human body. In addition to its role as a weight-bearing joint, the lower extremities of the human body require the synergy of the knee joint for movement and steering, which leads to a steep increase in the risk of injury. As the largest and most complex joint in the body, the knee joint consists of the lower femur, upper tibia and patella. The upper tibia is basically a flat surface, while the lower femur is an oval-shaped surface. The two surfaces are round and flat, and do not fit together completely, so the meniscus is needed to help the surfaces fit together. Also, because the joint fossa that makes up the knee is relatively shallow, it relies on a large amount of surrounding soft tissue to maintain joint stability, so there is a higher likelihood of soft tissue injury. I’ll tell you about a few common knee sports injuries. Knee radiograph (sagittal plane) The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), also known as the “watchdog ligament” in some foreign countries, is very important in maintaining the stability of the knee joint because its main role is to limit excessive anterior displacement of the tibia, knee hyperextension, and tibial rotation. This is why it is unfortunate that it is always the first to bear the brunt of acute injuries to the knee. Figure: Anatomy of the knee joint and the various ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament of the knee prevents excessive anterior displacement of the tibia. Injuries to the ACL are usually caused by hyperextension or hyperextension of the knee. This injury is very common in sports that require sharp stops and turns combined with a variety of directional movements, typically in soccer and basketball. The “missed kick” (i.e., a kick that misses the goal) in soccer is a typical ACL injury caused by the sudden loss of the point of stress, resulting in excessive knee extension. In addition, loss of weight after a physical confrontation resulting in excessive knee abduction is also likely to result in an ACL tear. In this year’s NBA regular season game, video screenshot of Thunder guard Maynor (blue jersey athlete) leaving the game with an injury, after the game Maynor was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee and was out for the season. In the picture we can clearly see that his right knee is clearly hyperextended. In addition, ACL injuries are also common in sports where there is a lot of rapid force action in a short period of time, such as baseball, softball, sprinting, etc. Violent impact is also an important cause of various knee injuries, so wrestling, taekwondo, etc. may also lead to injuries. However, knee valgus can cause more injuries than just ACL tears. Take Meno’s injury video as an example, due to excessive knee valgus, Meno must have had a medial collateral ligament injury along with the ACL rupture. Conversely, if Meno is presenting with excessive knee pronation, a lateral collateral ligament injury is likely to occur. These injuries are more common in sports such as soccer, rugby, long jump, and skiing. The left and right cushion The meniscus is the two semilunar pieces of fibrocartilage between the femur and tibia, known as the medial and lateral meniscus respectively. Its main roles are to conduct loads, assist in maintaining knee stability, enhance lubrication, regulate joint pressure, absorb shock, and sense proprioception [3]. The meniscus can often be injured due to sudden changes in knee activity. Medial and lateral meniscus position. For example, when the knee joint undergoes both flexion and extension movements and rotational movements, the meniscus needs to shift and change according to the different requirements of these two movements. As a result, the meniscus, which cannot be used in two ways, may “contradict” itself, resulting in the meniscus not being in the proper position and being squeezed by the knee joint surface, resulting in a meniscal crush or rupture. Meniscal injuries are more common in sports such as soccer and gymnastics. In soccer, the right foot kicks the ball too hard to the left, causing excessive left rotation of the body and internal rotation of the left calf, resulting in a left meniscus injury. In box jumping, landing with an unstable center of gravity, the body deviates to the left and the left lower leg is internally rotated, resulting in a left knee meniscus injury. In weightlifting, it is possible for both knees to turn out and knee at the same time, which can also lead to meniscus injury. Although weightlifting is not a common sport for us, there is still the possibility of similar conditions in strength training for sports enthusiasts that require attention. We can clearly explain the main causes and risk factors for each injury, but as the saying goes, most knee injuries result in multiple injuries. The most common is what we call the “knee triad,” which is a triple whammy of injuries to the medial collateral ligament, medial meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament caused by strong rotational violence to the knee. You should not think that only acute sprains and strains are injuries, or that you can avoid these knee injuries if you are careful. The only difference is that you can buy a new one if the gears of the machine are aging, but if your knee joint is aging …… the most common chronic knee lesion is patellofemoral end disease, which refers to the degeneration of the patellar tendon tissue caused by sports injuries or strain. The patellar tendon is the tendon structure that connects the patella to the shin bone of the lower leg, and together with the quadriceps and patella, it forms the “knee extensor”. End patellar disease is a micro-injury to the patellar tendon caused by repetitive knee extension movements that overload the knee extension apparatus. What movement requires the most knee extension? Obviously, jumping. Sports that involve a lot of jumping, such as basketball, volleyball, and track and field, are the main predisposing sports for patellofemoral endopathy. For this reason, chondromalacia patellae is also known as “jumping knee” or “basketball knee”. It can also occur in sports that involve prolonged knee extension, such as weightlifting and cycling. Another thing we tend to overuse is the meniscus, which has a difficult time absorbing shock and plays an important role in cushioning jumps and landings, steering and other movements. Therefore, long-term sports may cause repeated wear and tear or tiny trauma to the meniscus, thus forming a fatigue injury. It is more common in basketball and volleyball, which require frequent jumping. The cause of the eventual season loss of New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, who made it big in the NBA a while back, was a meniscus injury caused by overuse of the knee joint. Prevention and understatement are the best doctors Knee injuries do often plague us in sports, and prevention is of the utmost importance for sports enthusiasts. Then we should do the following (of course, these are clichéd points): warm-up exercises cannot be missing. Warm-up exercises can help raise body temperature, increase blood circulation in the deep muscles and enhance joint flexibility, which can largely reduce the chance of knee injuries (and of course all sports injuries). It is recommended that a 15-20 minute warm-up before exercise, which should include jogging, ligament stretching, muscle stretching, etc. In the case of low outside temperatures warm-up exercises are best carried out to 30 minutes. The exercise environment should be picked well. A safe environment is very important to prevent injuries. For soccer, basketball and other high-risk sports, wet venues should be avoided after the rain, and slippery feet when turning to power is very dangerous for the knee (today’s professional soccer always likes to sprinkle water on the field before the game, which is a lot of players. Besides, we don’t have non-slip spikes like the pros.) . Don’t forget to tidy up your sport. This is often overlooked by many sports fans. After the exercise to organize and relaxation activities can let the body temperature, heart rate and other return to normal levels, effectively reduce muscle, joint fatigue and soreness after exercise, but also to play a role in preventing injuries. Of course, if there are conditions to carry out some physical means of recovery (electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, heat therapy, etc.) is also a good choice. Key areas to focus on prevention. For the body, protection is naturally necessary. For sports, protection is divided into two kinds: their own protection and external protection. The so-called own protection, that is, we need to train the key parts of the stronger to protect their own bodies, then in the knee joint, we strengthen some quadriceps exercise, improve the strength of the muscles around the knee joint, to prevent knee injuries is naturally beneficial. And in the meantime, using some protective gear to protect would be a good way to go. It’s better to keep a low profile. For the prevention of injuries, we have one last, and also the most practical one, is that when the sport must have a clear understanding of their own ability, for their ability to reach the action do not easily try, otherwise in order to play handsome to get hurt themselves absolutely not worth the loss. Can remember the above points, I believe we can enjoy the fun of sports together without fear. Protect yourself in order to make our knees “hurt not up”.