Understanding and Managing Arthritis
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Tendon Injuries and Disorders
The three main types of tendon injuries and disorders are:
– Tendinitis and ruptured tendons
– Osgood-Schlatter disease
– Iliotibial band syndrome
Tendon injuries range from tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon) to a ruptured (torn) tendon. Torn tendons most often occur from:
– Overusing a tendon (particularly in some sports). The tendon stretches like a worn-out rubber band and becomes inflamed.
– Trying to break a fall. If thigh muscles contract, the tendon can tear. This is most likely to happen in older people with weak tendons.
One type of tendinitis of the knee is called jumper’s knee. In sports that require jumping, such as basketball, the tendon can become inflamed or can tear. Osgood-Schlatter disease is caused by stress or tension on part of the growth area of the upper shin bone. It causes swelling in the knee and upper part of the shin bone. It can happen if a person’s tendon tears away from the bone, taking a piece of bone with it. Young people who run and jump while playing sports can have this type of injury. Iliotibial band syndrome occurs when a tendon rubs over the outer bone of the knee causing swelling. It happens if the knee is overused for a long time. This sometimes occurs in sports training.
Treatment for tendon injuries and disorders includes:
– Rest
– Ice
– Elevation
– Medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain and reduce swelling
– Limiting sports activity
– Exercise for stretching and strengthening
– A cast, if there is a partial tear
– Surgery for complete tears or very severe injuries
Other Knee Injuries
Osteochondritis dissecans (OS-tee-oh-kon-DRI-tis DIS-secans) occurs when not enough blood goes to part of the bone under a joint surface. The bone and cartilage gradually loosen and cause pain. Some cartilage may break off and cause sharp pain, weakness, and locking of the joint. A person with this condition may develop osteoarthritis. Surgery is the main treatment.
– If cartilage fragments have not broken loose, a surgeon may pin or screw them in place.
This can stimulate new blood flow to the cartilage.
– If fragments are loose, the surgeon may scrape the cavity to reach fresh bone and add
a bone graft to fix the fragments in position.
– Research is being done to investigate cartilage and tissue transplants. Plica (PLI-kah) syndrome
occurs when bands of tissue in the knee called plicae swell from overuse or injury.
Treatments for this syndrome are:
– Medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce swelling
– Rest
– Ice
– Elastic bandage on the knee
– Exercises to strengthen muscles
– Cortisone injection into the plicae
– Surgery to remove the plicae if the first treatments do not fix the problem.
Q: What Kinds of Doctors Treat Knee Problems?
A: Injuries and diseases of the knees are usually treated by an orthopaedist (a doctor who treats problems with bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles).