9 Common Knee Injuries from Falling

Do you have knee pain after falling? Developing pain in knee after following can have a significant impact on your overall quality of life. If your knee hurts after fall, you need to figure out why this happened. You should also work with a healthcare professional who can help you diagnose knee injuries from a fall. If you do not have a comprehensive recovery plan in place, it may take you a while to recover from an injury from falling on knee.

What are a few examples of common knee injuries from falls, and how can a chiropractor help you? Work with Estner Injury Centers if you need help in addressing a knee injury fall.

1. A Knee Bruise

One of the most common knee injuries that people suffer when they fall is a knee bruise. Medically, this is called a contusion, and it takes place when you have damaged the soft tissue underneath. Sometimes, your knee changes colors, such as black or blue. In other cases, your knee may start to swell up.



Knee swelling is a result of your body rushing cells and fluid to the area to start the recovery process. Swelling can temporarily limit your range of motion, but a knee bruise should fade with time. You may need to limit the stress you place on the area as you recover from a knee contusion.

2. A Knee Strain

There is also a chance that you may suffer a knee strain as a result of your fall. A knee strain happens when you trust the muscles in your knee, upper leg, and lower leg too much. You might start to develop small tears in the muscle fibers that support your knee, leading to mild pain.



For example, you may have injured your hamstrings, which are on the back of your knee. Or, you may have injured your quadriceps, which support the top of your knee. If you have suffered a strain of your knee, you need to give your knee time to rest. You should limit activity for a while, and you may want to alternate between ice and heat as you recover.

3. A Ligament Injury

In severe situations, you might suffer a ligament injury. There are numerous ligaments in your knee that work together to provide you with the support, flexibility, and mobility you are used to. Some of the most important ligaments in your knee include:

• The anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL
• The posterior cruciate ligament, also known as the PCL
• The medial collateral ligament, also known as the MCL
• The lateral collateral ligament, also known as the LCL
  
  

Even though most people are familiar with the ACL, you can injure any of these ligaments when you fall. Sometimes, you may only have a mild ligamentous injury, also known as a sprain. In other cases, you may tear the ligament completely, leading to a much more serious injury.

4. A Kneecap Fracture

In a particularly severe fall, you might suffer a bone fracture. In this case, you may suffer a bone fracture of the kneecap, also known as the patella. Even though patella fractures typically take place in motor vehicle accidents, they can also happen when you fall.

You are at a greater risk of suffering a fracture of your kneecap if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. This is a condition that describes a drop in your bone density, which makes it more likely for you to suffer a fracture when you fall. If osteoporosis is particularly bad, you can fracture your kneecap just by taking an awkward step.



Fractures can vary significantly in terms of their severity. For example, there are some situations where you may simply need to wear a brace on your kneecap as it heals. Then, there are other situations where you might require more intensive treatment. You need to have this injury evaluated as quickly as possible.

5. Knee Bursitis

There is a chance that you might develop knee bursitis if you fall. Knee bursitis is a term used to describe inflammation of the sac that acts as a cushion for the knee joint itself. This sac is important because it prevents your bones from rubbing against one another, which would lead to severe pain and inflammation.

If you fall, you could suffer an injury to this liquid sac, leading to knee bursitis. You may feel like you have sandpaper in your knee, and it might feel like your bones are not working as smoothly as they should. You need to work with a chiropractor who can help you identify the root cause of your knee bursitis and develop a treatment plan to address it.

6. A Meniscus Injury

There are a lot of people who believe that the meniscus is another ligament; however, this is not entirely accurate. The meniscus is a piece of tough cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. It is situated between your femur and your lower leg bones (the tibia and fibula). The goal of the meniscus is to absorb shocks that would otherwise travel up and down your leg.

When you fall, you may suffer a meniscus injury. If you suddenly twist your knee as you hit the ground, you can tear the meniscus, leading to a serious injury. In general, an injury of the meniscus is treated using physical therapy, but it all depends on the severity of the injury itself. You need to work with a healthcare professional who can help you diagnose the injury and develop a treatment plan to address it.

7. Patellar Tendinitis

Following a serious fall, you might also be diagnosed with patellar tendonitis. This is a term used to describe inflammation and irritation of the patellar tendon, which is responsible for attaching your leg muscles to their respective bones. If you irritate the patellar tendon when you fall, you may have a difficult time walking, running, and jumping. In general, patellar tendonitis is a chronic injury that develops in people who ski and cycle regularly; however, it can also develop following a fall if you irritate the patellar tendon on your way down.

8. A Dislocated Kneecap

In a particularly serious fall, you might also suffer a dislocated kneecap. Your kneecap is a triangular bone that is responsible for covering the front of your leg. If you fall awkwardly, you can call the kneecap to slip out of place. Sometimes, you may find your kneecap situated on the outside of your knee, leading to significant pain and discomfort. You may also have a difficult time walking or standing straight as a result of the injury.

There are different maneuvers that can be done to move the kneecap back in place, but it all depends on where your kneecap has dislocated to. A chiropractor can take a look at this injury, evaluate it, and provide you with a treatment plan.

9. A Tendon Tear

Just as you can tear one of the ligaments in your knee, you may also tear one of the tendons in your knee. If the fall was particularly awkward, you could tear either the quadriceps tendon or the patellar tendon. Both of these tendons are responsible for connecting your muscles to your bones, and you may suffer immediate mobility problems as a result of this injury. Your leg might start to change color, and your knee will probably swell up. You may even hear an audible snap when you fall.



This is a serious injury that has to be evaluated as quickly as possible. Therefore, you should not delay medical care.

How To Reduce Your Chances of Falling

A chiropractor can work with you to help you complete your recovery process, but it is also important to take steps to reduce your chances of falling. That way, you can reduce your chances of suffering another knee injury. Some of the steps you should take include:

• When you are walking in your home, make sure the lights are on, particularly at night. That way, you can clearly see where you are going.
• Take steps to remove trip hazards that would otherwise cause you to fall. For example, get your shoes off the floor and try to tuck any tassels underneath the rug.
• You may want to install railing and grab bars in areas that are particularly slippery. This includes the bathroom.
• If you drink alcohol, try to do so in moderation. Drinking can make it hard for you to maintain your balance, which can increase your chances of falling.
• Use extreme caution when you are going up and down the stairs. If there is a railing available, make sure you use it.
  
  

Keep in mind that you can also reduce your chances of getting hurt from a fall if you eat a healthy diet that is high in calcium. Calcium is important for keeping your bones strong and preventing osteoporosis.

Call Estner Injury Centers After Falling on Your Knee

If you have recently fallen on your knee, you need to reach out to a healthcare professional as quickly as possible. At Estner Injury Centers, our treatment team has a tremendous amount of experience working with knee injuries, and we can use our experience to help you with the recovery process. Instead of taking a cookie-cutter approach, we always customize our treatment plans to meet the needs of our patients. Now, we can do the same for you. Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and learn more about how we can help you recover from a knee injury!