Dr. Snow's Chiropractic & Jiu Jitsu Blog: How to Stay Rollin' - Knee Injuries

Over the last couple of years, I have seen several knee injuries on the mat, ranging from mild sprains to more complicated injuries requiring surgery.  This article is going to focus primarily upon meniscus injuries.

The knee is subject to traumatic injury because it is a large hinge joint between two large bones, the femur and tibia.  The hinge is acted upon by very powerful muscles in the quadriceps and hamstrings, and gastrocnemius/soleus groups.  The meniscus acts as the shock absorber of the knee.  There are two of them, one medially and one laterally and they are attached to the tibia by small ligaments called the coronary ligaments.  The menisci themselves are not responsible for knee stability, as they are somewhat unstable themselves, so the knee relies upon the muscles, tendons and ligaments for stability. 

The medial meniscus is more commonly injured than the lateral meniscus.  When it is injured, the medial portion of the knee at the joint space becomes tender to the touch.  There may also be mild swelling in that region of the knee.  The opposite can be said for the lateral meniscus.  Though it is less often injured, when it is, it is usually more complicated and may require surgery.  There can be swelling and tenderness laterally, and with either of these injuries, there may be a painful “click or pop” within the ranges of motion.  It may feel like the knee gets stuck, or doesn’t track properly.  Generally speaking, unless there is additional injury to ligamentous structure, the knee remains somewhat stable with meniscus injuries.

Since most meniscus injuries seem to have a twisting component to the injury, it is common that there rotation of the tibia component to the injury that is never addressed.  So, you can go and have surgery, but the alignment is never corrected, and so the knee can continue to be problematic and symptomatic.   Also, it may be that the tibia is rotated, but the meniscus remains intact.  The symptoms are similar to a tear, so you should get it looked at immediately.  Hopefully we can avoid costly diagnostic testing and time off the mat. 

I have found in my office that a simple traction procedure is very effective in reducing the misalignment of the tibia.  It may be that is all that is needed, as I have seen in my office often.  If there is injury to the soft tissue, a functional rehabilitation program needs to be implemented in order to improve the stabilization, power and stamina of the knee.  This will help reduce the risk of further injury to the knee.   These programs are individualized to each patient’s specific needs, so give me a call.

Dr. Jeff Snow, D.C.
(512) 459-4014
The BJJ Chiropractor - Austin, TX

Vandry BJJ Academy: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai Boxing & Judo, Austin, Texas.