Knee Injury Prevention Program - Literature review Example

Current Evidence & Knowledge in Knee Injury Prevention Program Introduction There exists several diagnosis when it comes to knee injuries including; Subchondral, contusion, chondral injury, ligamentous injury and complete tear (Whiting & Zernicke, 2008). In the studies carried out on sports injuries, even the injuries that are not in any way precipitating a medical visit happen to be risk factors on the knee. This rate is on an alarming rate all over the world. Knee injuries are not just common in athletes but in the general population. Current statistics have it that more than 15% of the surgeries carried out today of people between the age of 10 and 64 years are on knee injuries (Buschbacher, Prahlow & Dave, 2008). Of all the knee injuries, ligamentous and meniscal injuries are the most common ones with most them being either undiagnosed, unreported or untreated (Lohmander & Ostenberg, 2004). In the last two decades, there has been a rapid increase of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young females engaging themselves in sports through jumping, cutting, and pivoting. Osteoarthritis risks have gone high to an approximated 50% and are common with people suffering from meniscus knee tear or anterior cruciate ligament. Of the overall knee injuries, ACL forms 25% of the total population with most of them being women and men soccer players. Early knee surgeries in life have been associated with reduced quality and functional limitation of the knee (Cooper & Kellingray, 2000). However, most of the victims suffering form knee injuries are adults above 30 years. Following the above highlighted situations, the identification and treatment of knee injuries would be a major advance in trying to reduce the alarming increase of the various forms of knee injuries. The best way to achieve this is by coming up with an effective knee injury preventive program. This is because most knee injuries either fail to be diagnosed or are too expensive to undergo surgery.  Comfort and Abrahamson (2010), acknowledge that most of the knee injuries experienced at old age could have been easily prevented on the early stages of life. Cooper and Kellingray (2000) elucidate that high incidence of knee injuries recurring after the first incident is also another factor that makes prevention of knee injuries a crucial step in trying to reduce knee injuries. More than ten years ago, it was estimated that measures put in place to prevent knee injuries resulted in a 25% reduction in knee injury cases. The female knee injuries are most alarming calling for the need of programs to prevent and control such cases. Knee Injury Prevention Program It is medically proven that it is possible to prevent a good number of knee injuries. Researches carried out in the recent past have come up with modified and new factors for knee mechanism and injury. This discoveries form strong basis on which possible preventive measures can be developed from. According to Sancheti (2010), there exist several interventional prospective randomized control and longitudinal studies trails on how such knee factors can be easily modified. The most common risk factors which exist as both intrinsic and extrinsic include; anatomic, hormonal and neuromuscular, making the intrinsic list and weather, knee bracing, environmental and shoe surface interface, making the extrinsic list. The knee injury prevention program addresses all these factors (Lohmander & Ostenberg, 2004). Knee bracing has been found to reduce knee injury by as much as 50% while some studies have it that bracing contributes to an equal amount of risks. Rigorous randomized control trials are most effective in dealing with athletes’ discomfort and impaired performances (Templeton, et el, 2008). On athletics, the program is designed in such a way that it trains them on how to decelerate and land in a fashion that is more controlled thus reducing the valgus collapse, improving their trunk control , proprioception and balance while at the same time increasing their knee flexion (Clark & Lucett, 2009). The program entails a 6 to 8 week progressive training of sport maneuvers and a 10 to 15 minute pre practice and pre game warm up routines (Frobell et el, 2007). Neuromuscular training prevents knee injuries if strengthening and plymotrics balance are incorporated. This should also include a training session once per week in at least six weeks. By the inclusion of biomechanical risks, factors on the knee injuries can be easily averted and substantially reduced (Gelber, & Mead, 2000). Randomized controlled trails are in support of the prevention programs on knee injuries. The potential risk reductions for knee injuries have been substantial for about 41 to 88%. Prevention of Further Knee Injury After an Initial Injury Once the knee has experienced significant injuries, the incidence of the recovered knee is dramatically increased (Frontera, 2003). This posse a big challenge for the parties involved in knee injury prevention to come up with secondary prevention programs. Even after a knee is treated from any injury, there exist joint neuromuscular and biomechanics function in knee injury development. Knee alignment program is the basic biomechanical factor (Cooper & Kellingray, 2000). Varus alignment is closely associated with valgus alignment and medial compartment with lateral compartment of knee injuries. Statistics on medical issues strongly provide evidence that the process of malalignment is significant in knee injuries progression (Feagin & Steadman, 2008). If the initial injury is server, surgical re-alignment can be used to unload the involved compartment that appears in the slow progression. This is done to hasten the progression of the injured patient. The initial injury is responsible for the alteration of biomechanics that render the knee joint vulnerable to another injury. Gelber and Mead (2000), assert that meniscus injury reduces the load bearing while at the same time absorbing the knee functions, increasing the leading of tibial-femoral and reduces joint stability. McKeag and Moeller (2007) elucidate that damage of joint capsule and ligaments may lead to a shift in contact pressure of the knee joint surface while experiencing gait. This may result in metabolic degeneration changes in regions of cartilage. Neuromuscular exercising functions result to an interaction between motor and sensory pathways (Cooper & Kellingray, 2000). Normally, significant knee injuries lead to ligament damages and joint capsule resulting in the reduction of activation and muscle strength which may also damage normal mechanoreceptors. Such exercise will critically help in the joint protection where the loads become anticipated and muscle tendons are made to assume the required tension to distribute and deflect loads across the knee joint surface or may lessen the rate at which the load applies to the knee (Frobell et el, 2007). Victims with initial knee injuries have a number of demonstrable and treatable neuromuscular impairments. This decreases the strength of quadriceps, poor positioning of the lower limb and deficiencies proprioceptive. Bahr and Engebretsen (2011) assert that the knee injury prevention program addresses such impairments to check on moderate and low activities that may be of risk to the already injured knee. The program will ensure that the neuromuscular has been reduced controlling impairs on the knee joint protection mechanism. Following this, the knee will be better placed to hold shear and shear forces. Exercise Prevention Program Lack of enough exercise and poor eating habit have been among the leading causes of knee injuries. Neuromuscular training and exercise have great beneficial prevention for knee injury (Sanchis-Alfonso, 2006). Hence, exercise intervention has been a positive measure for high quality prevention. Exercise does not only help in the prevention of knee exercise its initial stage but also help in the rehabilitation of the already injured victim to help in the recovery and prevent further injuries (Gianotti, Marshall, Bunt & Hume, 2009). The role of exercise in the prevention of knee injuries is responsible the knee muscle performances improvement in both the young and aged people. With regular and appropriate exercise, the neuromuscular functions of the knee quadriceps are best placed to withstand any pressure that would in normal occasions result to injuries (Frobell et el, 2007). Such exercise prevents muscle dysfunctions that are the main causes of knee injuries such as knee ligament tear. Specific exercise and moderate physical activity play a crucial role in prevention of knee injury. People who are physical active engaging in specific exercise enhance properties of the cartilage helping in the knee injuries. According to Templeton, et el. (2008) the old aged people are the ones who need such exercise the most in a regular and moderate manner over the rest of the lifetime reducing the risk of severe knee injuries. People who were active at their young age are likely to experience none or minimal knee injuries on their adulthood (Renström, 1994). This is because physical exercises are responsible for bone mass development, joints strength and cartilage development. Young children are being encouraged to take part in sports especially the girl child as the sports provide higher cartilage accrual rates (Speer, 2005). Vigorous exercise is responsible for the reduction adult obesity and childhood. The two are among the leading causes of knee injuries. This exercise however should not be over done as too much pressure can lead to the tear of the knee ligaments (Engebretsen, A et al. 2008). The program targets the adolescents in relation to sports and activities in order to help in their body mass index, joint knee injuries, and family history with some having the genes of knee problems (IDEA Health & Fitness, 2001). The screening program is meant to address the future risks associated with knee muscles and ligament rupture and also the neuromuscular activation and trunk and core control (Frobell et el, 2007). The knee prevention program includes surgical measures in the reconstruction and restoring of knee stability and has the knee function mechanically well preventing any further injuries. The knee prevention program has been successful with the measures it has put in place to check on the increasing rate of knee injuries. The impact of the program has so far witnessed a drastic reduction in such rates thus is a success. References Bahr, R & Engebretsen, L. (2011). Sports Injury Prevention. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Buschbacher, R,. Prahlow, N & Dave, S. (2008). Sports medicine and rehabilitation: a sport-specific approach. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Clark, M & Lucett, S. (2009). NASM Essentials of Sports Performance Training. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.  Comfort, P & Abrahamson, E. (2010). Sports Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Cooper, C & Kellingray, S. (2000). Risks Factors For The Incidence and progression of Radiographic Knee Osteoarthiritis. California: Arthrites Rheum Press Engebretsen, A et al. (2008). Prevention of Injuries Among Male Soccer Players. The American Journal of Sports Medicine Vol 36 issue 6, Pp 1052-1060. Feagin, J & Steadman, R. (2008). The Crucial Principles in Care of the Knee. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Frobell, R, et el.(2007). Acute Rotational Trauma to the knee: Poor agreement between clinical assessment and mantic resonances imaging findings. New York: scand J Med Sci Sports.  Frontera, W. (2003). Rehabilitation of sports injuries: scientific basis. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Gelber, A & Mead, L. (2000). Joint Injury in Young Adults and Risk Subsequent Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis. Ann Intern Med Gianotti, S,. Marshall, S Bunt, L & Hume, P (2009). Incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury and other knee ligament injuries: A national population-based study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Vol 12 issue 6, Pp 662-667. IDEA Health & Fitness. (2001). Injury Prevention for Fitness Instructors. New York: IDEA Health & Fitness Association. Lohmander, L & Ostenberg, A. (2004). High Prevalence of Knee osteoarthritis, Pain and Functional Limitations in Female Soccer Players Twelve Years after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. California: Arthrites Rheum Press McKeag, D & Moeller, J. (2007). ACSMs primary care sports medicine. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Renström, P. (1994). Clinical practice of sports injury prevention and care. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell. Sancheti, P. (2010). Injuries around the knee – Symposium. British Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol 44 issue 1. Sanchis-Alfonso, V. (2006). Anterior knee pain and patellar instability. Frankfurt: Birkhäuser Speer, K. (2005). Injury prevention and rehabilitation for active older adults. Illinois: Human Kinetics Templeton, K et el. (2008). Sports Injuries in Women: Sex and Gender-Based Difference in Etiology and Prevention. Instr. Course Lect. Whiting, W & Zernicke, R. (2008). Biomechanics of musculoskeletal injury. Illinois: Human Kinetics Read More