Knee sprain: should you be worried?
Doctors
Topics
Treatments
Advice
- Dr Jacques Vallotton
- Sprain symptoms
- Importance of diagnosis
- Possible treatments
- Rehabilitation
- Return to activity
- Rehabilitation
- Surgery
- don't dramatize
- make an accurate diagnosis
- choose the right treatment
- prepare for rehabilitation
Knee Sprain: Understanding the Severity
Knee sprains frequently occur during pivot sports. They include a wide variety of injuries, from a simple ligament strain to a rupture. This heterogeneity explains why intense pain does not always indicate a serious injury, and conversely, certain subtle signs may mask a significant injury. The objective is immediately functional: to secure the joint and preserve the return to activities under good conditions.
In this context, adopting a calm and methodical approach avoids hasty decisions. A careful clinical examination, supplemented if necessary by appropriate imaging, allows the lesion to be located, its severity to be determined, and proportionate treatment to be directed. The key message: don't overreact, but don't trivialize it either.
Recognize the signs and make the diagnosis
Certain clinical features suggest a severe sprain: a feeling of dislocation, audible cracking at the trauma, inability to support, rapid effusion. Conversely, marked pain may accompany a benign injury, especially in the hours that follow. Diagnosis is based first on a specialized examination (drawer stability, rotational laxity), then on an MRI in case of doubt, in order to look for associated injuries (meniscus, cartilage) and refine the course of action.
A clear assessment avoids errors in the therapeutic trajectory and allows the patient to be explained the next steps, from pain control to the gradual resumption of activity.
There is no need to dramatize, we must carry out the necessary investigations.
Conservative treatments: calm, protect, guide
In the majority of cases, initial management is conservative. It aims to reduce pain and inflammation, protect the knee, and maintain mobility. Relative rest, icing, compression, elevation, and analgesics are the initial measures. A splint may be proposed temporarily, combined with early physiotherapy focused on range of motion, neuromuscular control, and quadriceps recovery.
The pace is individualized: progress is made without increased pain, with simple and measurable objectives. This phase determines what follows: a deflated, mobile and controlled knee facilitates any subsequent option, surgical or not.
When to consider surgery?
Surgery is discussed when laxity is significant, a key ligament is torn, or in cases of persistent instability in pivot athletes. The choice depends on age, goals, type of activity, and associated injuries. Information is key: explaining the expected benefit, the steps, and the rehabilitation schedule allows for a shared decision.
Whether it is retained or not, the quality of the preparation (decongestion, complete extension, good muscle activation) remains decisive for the future.
The goal is to return to your sporting activities in the best possible conditions.
Rehabilitation and resumption of activities
Rehabilitation follows a logical progression: recovery of extension then flexion, progressive strengthening, proprioception and re-athleticization. Running, then support and changes of direction, are reintroduced in stages, according to validated criteria (controlled pain, symmetrical strength, functional tests).
Return to sport is decided based on performance, not a fixed schedule. This approach reduces the risk of recurrence and ensures a sustainable return to activity.
Key message to the patient
A knee sprain requires a thorough assessment and a tailored treatment plan. With structured management and clear functional goals, the vast majority of patients return to their normal activities in safe and comfortable conditions.
Your pain has a cause.The balance sheet allows us to understand it.
- Gait analysis
- Posture Assessment
- Guidance on the right treatment
- Study of plantar supports and supports
- Detection of compensations
- Pain–movement correlation
The functional assessment allows us to understand how a joint or postural imbalance can trigger or perpetuate pain. Very often, imaging is normal, but movement is disturbed. By analyzing gait, weight-bearing patterns, or posture, we identify the weak links in the chain and guide targeted treatment adapted to the patient's actual mechanics.
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