Sometimes we are very ungrateful with some parts of our body: we only remember them when they hurt us or do ‘strange things’ to us, those noises that surprise or scare us. It happens to us with our knees. And we even allow ourselves to nod when we read things like they fail a lot because, in broad terms, they are a fiasco of the ‘design’ of our anatomy.
An injustice. Because this joint – the largest and most complex in the body – allows us to move quickly, withstands the impact of daily life, supports a lot of tension and an enormous load, ensures our stability…, but it has the ‘disadvantage’ of not being able to turn backwards and that it ‘breaks down’ quite easily (and very frequently), which gives it a rather bad reputation. On top of that, sometimes its failures are audible. Who hasn’t heard a clicking, cracking or gurgling sound in the knees when making a movement? The most worrying – many others are not – is the one that precedes what Andrés Gay-Pobes, a doctor specializing in Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery at the Vithas Hospital in Vitoria, defines as “a health problem that could be considered epidemic”: the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). “It is a frequent and, unfortunately, recurring conversation between friends or co-workers, ‘the cruciate has broken’, ‘what a job, it only takes a few months’.”
The most striking thing is that this rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, which is usually accompanied by “an audible snap in more than a third of cases” – and on this occasion the ‘little noise’ is synonymous with bad news -, usually occurs without any type of contact with third parties. “It occurs during movements or sudden changes in direction or turning on the supported leg. Come on, most of the time no ‘help’ is needed to cause the injury,” says Gay-Pobes.
This critical movement that breaks the ligament – a connecting tissue arranged between the femur and tibia of each leg and which serves to stabilize the knee – is followed by acute pain and the feeling of failure, that ‘our leg is going away’. ‘. “Then, later, comes the spill caused by the bleeding that occurs inside the joint,” explains the doctor. “In short, people realize that something is not quite right…”
‘Fashion’
This injury is ‘in’ right now for two reasons. The first, because since the Spanish soccer players won the World Cup it has been repeated ad nauseum that women – and even more so those who practice this sport – are much more likely than men to suffer this injury (“they have two to four times “more risk” ) due, apparently, to the fact that hormonal concentrations in the different phases of the menstrual cycle modify the elastic properties of collagen, so on some days the risk of suffering this breakage would increase. And, secondly, because this month, with the massive return to gyms and sports activity – generally, with a few extra kilos gained in summer and with physical fitness somewhat reduced –, a lot of cases are occurring. .
«It preferably affects young people, with a higher risk among women who practice sports. That is why it is essential to act on prevention,” insists the traumatologist. To avoid injury – which is still the result of the bones of the leg twisting in opposite directions under the weight of the entire body – and avoid being left in dry dock for a long time – between 9 and 12 months –, the main thing It is to have your knees as well cared for as possible. It is key to avoid being overweight: it is estimated that each extra kilo puts about five kilos of extra pressure on the kneecap when going up and down stairs, for example. Likewise, we must keep the muscles in the area strong, especially those on the inside of the leg, which is one of the areas we work the least (sitting in a chair, with a ball between our feet, we can raise and lower our legs to work this area).
More tips to keep your knees in good condition and reduce the chances of cruciate pain and tears? Use a footrest if our feet do not reach the ground when sitting and avoid bending the knee more than 90 degrees for a long time (45 if we already have problems). More: forget about traditional squats if these joints are already affected somewhat or we have suffered a cruciate tear, which often leaves consequences in the form of pain. So it is important to choose the activity we do well: swimming, walking or riding a bike – without forcing it – help keep the muscles that stabilize the knee toned, but running or jumping, especially on hard surfaces, can generate an impact that overloads the knee. the knee and leaving it in a vulnerable situation.
Creaks, those ‘musics’ of ours
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squatting
We squat down and suddenly… a crunch. It happens because we have forced the knee more than usual and the bubbles in the synovial fluid (that surrounds and lubricates it) burst. It is something that is not of any importance. Cartilage wear is another cause of this noise (either due to age or the repetitive activity of bending over) and is normal. It is also common for people with osteoarthritis to hear noises when bending their knees. -
When we get up
When we get up after lying down for a long time or when we make any sudden movement of the joint, we can hear cracking sounds that are usually not relevant if they are not accompanied by other symptoms.
#epidemic #crusader #breaks