Knee Pain
Specialist
One of the most common sports-related injuries, a knee injury or recurrent knee pain can sideline you for weeks or even months. Dr. Marilyn E. Copeland, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist at Fondren Orthopedic Group in Webster, Texas, brings her extensive training and experience to your recovery, using the latest medical procedures to relieve your pain and get you back on your feet. If you live in the Clear Lake or Greater Houston area and suffer from knee pain, call or request your appointment online today.
About Your Knee
Knee injuries are some of the most common pains seen in an orthopedic clinic. The knee sustains 3-4 times of the body’s force through it with every single step. That means for a 100lb person, each knee takes on 300-400 lbs of force with walking. And even more when running! When you add in an accidental twist or misstep, you can see why injuries are so common.
As we age, the soft tissues in the knee are no longer able to distribute those forces as well. Add in the additional wear and tear of athletics or exercise, even from our younger glory days, and the knees find themselves prone to more injuries.
Dr. Copeland’s Sports Medicine Fellowship has allowed her to study and understand the latest procedures for the most complicated of injuries. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear, or ACL, is one of these injuries. How it is fixed is important. Despite common thought, not all fixes are the same! Over the last several decades there have been many ways to do this repair, but not every type of reconstruction has been shown to work as well as the others.
Meet with Dr. Copeland to ask questions about these studies and learn the proven ways to reconstruct the knee and which procedure is best for you to get back on the field with the least risk of re-injury!
The ACL tear is just one of the few injuries of the knee treated by Dr. Copeland. Here are a few more:
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Meniscus tears
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Knee arthritis injections
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Total knee replacement
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Partial knee replacement with robotic assistance (one of only a few surgeons in the area certified for this)
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Knee arthroscopy procedures
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Multi-ligament knee injuries
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Sprains and strains about the knee
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Quadriceps tendon repairs
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Patellar tendinitis
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Cartilage replacement with auto and allograft
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Patellar bursitis
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Patellar fracture fixation
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Fixation of tibial plateau fractures
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Fixation of distal femur fractures
Knee Pain Q & A
What are the most common sports-related knee injuries?
As the largest joint in the body, your knee receives the brunt of your body’s wear and tear during physical activity. Most sports-related knee injuries fall into one of the following categories:
Fractures
Knee fractures are common in the patella (kneecap), though the femur and tibia are also prone to fractures. You’re at the greatest risk for a fracture from high-impact sports or accidents.
Dislocation
A knee dislocation occurs when any of your knee bones are displaced, usually causing you to lose full function of your knee. Like fractures, they’re most often caused by high-impact sports, falls, or other accidents.
ACL injuries
Perhaps the most common sports-related knee injury, you can sustain a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during various sports activities. It often occurs when you need to change direction or turn suddenly, or you land incorrectly from a jump or stride.
Meniscus and tendon tears
Though you’re most likely to experience a meniscus or tendon tear during sports or while running, any movement that involves turning, twisting, or pivoting can result in a tear. Your chance of suffering one of these non-sports-related tears increases with age and conditions like arthritis.
Cartilage damage
The cartilage is the soft tissue covering of a joint that helps it glide smoothly during movement. Different disorders of this tissue can cause pain, such as arthritis, OCD (osteochondral defect) lesions, and acute sport injuries can also shear the cartilage and cause damage.
Are women at greater risk for knee injuries?
Studies show that women are more likely than men to experience specific knee injuries. In fact, women are up to 10 times more likely to experience an ACL tear. The reason for this is unclear, but there are a few potential contributing factors:
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Anatomy: Women have wider hips than men, affecting the alignment of their knees and causing a more “inward” motion during movement.
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Function: Women favor different muscles in the hips and legs when performing physical activities, leading to a greater risk of muscle strain or tears.
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Flexibility: Women tend to be more flexible than men, which can lead to hyperextension and increased muscle strain.
How can I prevent a knee injury as a woman?
If you want to reduce your risk of experiencing a knee injury during physical activity, Dr. Copeland recommends exercises that strengthen the muscles supporting the most common injury sites, such as the quadriceps or hamstrings. Combine this exercise with a proper stretching routine to keep your muscles limber during sports and workouts.
If you have a knee injury and you live in the Clear Lake or Greater Houston area, call or request your appointment online today
COMMON TREATMENTS
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