Answers provided by Dr. Bill Montgomery, Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and team physician for the San Francisco Giants. Athletic injuries to the knee are quite common. Many of the overuse injuries involve the patella, or kneecap, such as patellar tendonitis. These are most often seen in runners, bicyclists and jumping athletes.
More serious injuries involve the meniscus, articular cartilage and the ligaments of the knee.
They occur when you twist your knee while your foot is planted, or by hyperextension injuries. ACL injuries are not likely to heal on their own, so the majority of people who suffer ACL tears need to have them surgically repaired if they want to continue participating in jumping and twisting sports. Meniscal injuries are often treated arthroscopically by either trimming out the torn portion of the meniscus or by repairing the torn region of the meniscus. Articular cartilage injuries may either be traumatic and amenable to arthroscopic repair or caused by arthritic changes, which are being seen more commonly in even younger individuals in this active society. Maintain flexibility by stretching.