LIFESTYLE NEWS - Exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical well-being and it aids in great measure to get rid of ailments, aches and pains. Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and feel the difference. This week biokineticist Lize Coetzee continues the series of talks on knee injuries.
Let's start off with a quick recap of the anatomy of the knee for those who missed it during the previous articles. The knee is stabilised by four main ligaments: two collateral ligaments (the inside and outside of the knee) and two cruciate ligaments, anterior (front) and posterior (back).
The cruciate ligaments attach to the femur (thigh bone) and travel within the knee joint to the upper surface of the tibia (shin bone). The ligaments pass each other in the middle of the joint, forming an "X"-shape, hence the name "cruciate".
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) functions mainly in preventing the tibia (shin bone) from moving backwards on the femur, known as "posterior drawer". It also helps to prevent the tibia from twisting outwards. Injury to the ligament leads to knee instability, with the shin bone having a tendency to "sag" backwards.
The cause of the PCL injury
The PCL is most likely to be injured when the knee is hyper flexed (bent), when a person falls with full weight on the shin bone (tibia) with a bent knee and pointed toes (plantar flexion). The PCL is most often sprained when the front of the knee hits the dashboard during an automobile accident. During sports activities, the PCL can also tear when an athlete falls forward and lands hard on a bent knee, which is common in football, basketball, soccer and especially rugby.
It can also be injured by rotational force, which also affects the medial or lateral side of the knee.
The PCL is important for stabilising the knee and preventing it from bending back the wrong way.
Injuries of the PCL are less common than those of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This is mainly due to the greater thickness and strength of the PCL.
PCL tears are graded 1 to 3, with 3 being the most severe. These gradings are classified depending on the amount of backward tibia displacement observed when the knee is bent at 90º. In extreme cases the ligament may become completely pulled off the bone (avulsed).
Next week we will talk more about ACL injuries.
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