Your knee is a complex joint that has many responsibilities. When your knee becomes painful or you find it difficult to move because of inflexibility in your knee joint, it can significantly impact your quality of life.
As a sports medicine specialist, Carlos A. Uquillas, MD understands debilitating knee pain. Dr. Uquillas has extensive experience in diagnosing the many underlying causes of persistent knee pain, so you can get the treatment you deserve as soon as possible.
Here he provides some insight into common knee injuries that can lead to chronic pain and what you can do about it.
Knee pain can be brought on by joint overuse or injuries from exercise, sports, or everyday activities. Some of the most common knee injuries we treat include:
Fractures in the bones of your knee or kneecap can occur from trauma or from bone weakening due to osteoporosis (loss of bone density).
Dislocations occur when the kneecap that covers the front of your joint slides out of place, most often to the outside of your knee.
The meniscus is a tough, rubber-like cartilage that sits between your shin and thighbones. This structure absorbs the shocks of your movements and can tear with sudden twists or because of excess pressure.
Patellar tendinitis describes chronic inflammation and irritation of the tendons in your knee joint. Runners, jumpers, and other athletes may develop tendinitis due to overuse in activities.
Your MCL is a long, thick ligament that travels down your inner knee between your thigh bone and shin bone. This tissue keeps your leg from bending unnaturally and provides vital knee stability for every activity. MCL injuries often occur from direct trauma to the joint.
Your ACL is a major ligament that connects your shin and thighbones. ACL tears most often occur with sudden changes in directions when playing sports.
Accurately identifying the underlying cause of knee pain is the first priority of Dr. Uquillas. He offers on-site diagnostic imaging tests, like X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to confirm or rule out different types of knee injuries in both adults and children.
Once he understands the nature of your condition, Dr. Uquillas customizes a treatment plan just for you. He offers a variety of therapies to ease your persistent knee pain and to preserve the long-term health of the joint including:
Nonsurgical options for knee injuries include medications and regenerative medicine therapies using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells. These substances are found naturally in your body and stimulate the production of new, healthy tissue to replace what’s damaged.
If conservative care isn’t enough to relieve knee pain, you might benefit from knee surgery. Different types of surgery are available, including minimally invasive knee arthroscopy, to repair damaged ligaments and a torn meniscus.
Dr. Uquillas is also skilled in performing cartilage transplantation surgeries and total and partial knee joint replacements.
You don’t need to suffer in silence with chronic knee pain and disability. Call the office of Carlos Uquillas, MD nearest you or book a diagnostic evaluation online today.
