Causes and treatment of hyperextended knee

Causes and treatment of hyperextended knee

Hyperextension of the knee is a condition characterized by the knees bent back because excessive pressure has been applied, usually when placed straight. Graphically, it can be described that the posterior knee joint opened too much and caused the tibia or tibia to extend backwards. The flexion of which and the opening of the knee joint are abnormally beyond its limit.

Causes of knee hyperextension

There are many causes of knee hyperextension, here are some of the known factors listed:

As mentioned briefly, hyperextension of the knee is more likely to occur when a person whose legs are straight receives a terrible blow or force that extends the knee back. In addition to hyperextension, injuries such as this can also cause the rupture of several ligaments and dislocation of the knee.

Another cause of hyperextension of the knee is when great stress has been applied to this joint, such as landing in an extended knee position after a jump. These instances can be commonly seen among the rigorous sports that strengthen the knees such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics. Having knee hyperextension will also open it for anterior cruciate ligament damage because it has been reported to increase ACL damage by five times more than other causes.
When it is a deformity and is not caused by any physical injury, knee hyperextension develops to compensate for an imbalance between the front and back muscles of the thigh.

Symptoms of knee hyperextension

Causes and treatment of hyperextended knee

Hyperextension of the knee can be characterized according to its severity. It can be classified as mild, moderate or severe and everyone has their own symptoms to be careful.

The different symptoms are:

  • An extreme pain that surrounds the back and the side of the knees.
  • swelling
  • Painful discomfort when walking or with any activity that involves the knees
  • A popping sound at the moment you have hyperextended knees. 
  • The "pop" sound is due to the tear of the ligament. 
  • Knee instability and feeling of imbalance.
  • Restriction in the range of movements of the knee involved.
  • Treatments for knee hyperextension.

Causes and treatment of hyperextended knee

Causes and treatment of hyperextended knee

There is a mnemonic used for the immediate treatment of this injury and it is called PRICE. The letters represent the following procedures:

P - Protect. You should stop doing what you are doing and you should use some walking support to change knee pressure to the support.

R - Rest. It goes without saying that if hyperextension of the knee has occurred, you should refrain from sports or other physical activities that may make the injury worse.

I - ice. Apply some ice on the injured part and use it for approximately 10 to 15 minutes every 3 to 4 hours. The coldness of the ice will numb your pain, even for a bit.

C - Compress. You can use an ACE bandage to wrap the injured area. The wrap will reduce swelling and relieve pain.

E - Get up. It is important to raise the injured leg above the level of the heart to decrease swelling.

Treating what can be treated

When the causes of hyperextended knee are soft tissue injuries, it can be treated with local therapy such as braces, infiltrations, physiotherapy, electrotherapy and massage.

Painkillers can also be useful as a treatment for short periods of time. Heat and cold (depending on the cause) can relieve symptoms. Locally applied creams also help reduce discomfort.

Joint overload (obesity, weightlifting) can aggravate the symptoms, so it should be avoided by modifying your lifestyle.

Regular muscle strengthening and stretching will be beneficial (consult your doctor). Sports such as swimming, pilates and yoga are recommended.

Finally, treatment of the anxious and / or depressive component that may accompany this syndrome through appropriate medications used in the lowest possible dose can help.


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