Knee injuries can be extraordinarily debilitating and take months or even years to recuperate from. Some serious personal injury cases that we have handled at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin have involved serious tears of the joints, ligaments and fractures of bones related to the knee. If you have been seriously injured in this way, you may wish to seek the counsel of an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Chondromalacia

Chondromalacia is a disorder caused by softening of the articular cartilage of the kneecap. Chondromalacia can be caused by injury, overuse, or misalignment of the parts of the body that are held together at the knee. Rather than smoothly gliding over the lower end of the thighbone, the kneecap rubs against the thighbone, grating and roughening the cartilage and gradually causing it to soften and wear away.

A blow to the kneecap during an injury or accident can cause chondromalacia by tearing a fragment of bone or cartilage away from the kneecap.

Symptoms of chondromalacia include:

• A dull pain under or around the kneecap, especially when walking down stairs or hills
• Pain when climbing stairs or hills, or when the knee is straightened

If you have suffered a knee injury in a car accident or an on-the-job accident, contact us today to determine if the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin can help you. You'll know our opinion on your case by the next business day.

Injuries to the Meniscus

The bones of the knee are separated by pads of connective tissue called menisci (plural for meniscus). The menisci are divided into two crescent-shaped discs that lie between the tibia and the femur on the outer and inner sides of each knee. The menisci act as shock absorbers, cushioning the lower leg from the weight of the rest of the body and enhancing skeletal stability.

A meniscus can be seriously injured by the force of a rotating knee while bearing weight, especially when a person suddenly twists or rotates the upper leg while the foot stays still. Meniscus tears are common in sports such as football, in which players may rotate their legs while in the air, or during a fall while an opponent is twisting and pushing on their legs or knees. A small meniscus tear may not separate the meniscus from the knee, but a severe tear can leave the meniscus pad hanging on the knee by only a slip of cartilage.

Meniscus tears can cause intense pain depending on the severity of the tear. The knee will most likely swell in order to protect itself; this inflammation can be intensely painful. On occasion an old meniscus tear that was never treated can become re-injured in an accident, or only become painful months after the actual injury that distressed the meniscus.

A meniscus that is badly damaged or torn may require complete replacement. Without the menisci, an injured person can develop persistent pain and swelling, and arthritis. In older patients, meniscus surgery might entail a complete knee replacement, but in some patients younger than 50 years old, a meniscal transplant of healthy meniscal tissue may be of help. Post-operative recovery can include physical therapy, and some patients may not be able to return to work for several months.

Symptoms of meniscus injury include:

• Pain, even if the injured person can move their knee
• An audible clicking sound in the knee, especially when the knee is moved or rotated
• Locking of the knee, preventing movement of the leg entirely

If you've suffered a meniscus tear or injury due to someone else's action or failure to act, contact us today to see if you have a case.

Ligament Injuries

The knee joint is really the junction of the femur, the tibia and the patella. The patella is the kneecap itself. Above the patella is the femur, or thighbone, and below it is the tibia, or shinbone. The patella sits at the front of the tibia and the femur and slides when the leg moves, protecting the knee and giving leverage to the leg muscles. The tibia and the femur are joined to each other by two types of ligaments that stabilize and strengthen the knee. The collateral ligaments are on the outside and inside of the knee and provide stability. The cruciate ligaments lie in the center of the knee and limit forward and backward motion of the tibia.

Injuries to the medial collateral ligament, or MCL, which sits at the inner part of the knee, are common in an accident or injury that results in a blow to the inside of the knee, resulting in stretching or tearing of the MCL. The MCL is more easily injured that the LCL, or lateral collateral ligament, which resides on the outside part of the knee. When the MCL is injured, a popping sound may be heard and the knee may buckle sideways. Pain and swelling usually follows an MCL tear.

Injuries to the cruciate ligaments are sometimes referred to as sprains, but they can be much more complicated than simple muscle strains and require months of treatment to recover from. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, lies just behind the patella and is most often stretched or torn when the knee turns one way and the foot turns another. Basketball and football players often suffer ACL injuries during game contact, but they can also be suffered in car accidents or on the job accidents involving twists to the knees.

Injuries to the posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, which lies at the rear of the leg, are common in car accidents where the back of the knee is struck, pulled, or torn away during impact. A person with a torn ACL or PCL may not feel pain right away. A popping sound is usually heard on impact, and the leg buckles or gives way underneath the injured person. An MRI is usually required to diagnose the severity of the sprain or tear. An injured person will usually have to undergo surgery to repair, reattach or reconstruct the torn ligament. Post-operative treatment involves a lengthy course of physical therapy and aggressive exercise using special rehabilitation equipment and therapeutic techniques.

If you've suffered a serious knee injury in a car accident or on-the-job accident, you may require such lengthy courses of treatment. Contact us today to see if we can assist you to receive just compensation for your injuries.