Summer water sports might cause knee injury
By Sanghwa Eom
During the hot summer nights everyone is exhausted from the hot humid weather, but there are people who are especially excited during this time.
They are those who enjoy water sports such as water skiing and wakeboarding.
Every summer, water sports enthusiasts flock to the beach.
However, as most water sports require fast speeds in the water, injuries from these sports go beyond light abrasions and bruises, often causing fractures, ligament damage and dislocations.
Among them, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures occur most frequently.
The ACL serves to hold the upper and lower part of the knee joint so that the knee is not overly stressed.
However, if the knee is twisted due to a sudden change in direction or rotation of the knee joint while enjoying sports, then the cruciate ligament cannot hold the pressure and breaks abruptly.
When this rupture occurs, there is a “popping” sound at the time of injury, and the knee feels loose, gradually swells and makes it harder to walk.
In case of complete rupture, the pain level is severe, but in the case of a partial rupture, the pain is manageable, so often the injured parties put off getting the proper treatment.
Many patients come for treatment after they get a secondary injury, which in many cases causes a meniscal tear.
In addition, the ACL does not naturally heal, so it is important to visit the hospital at the time of injury for proper treatment.
When the damage is small, the ACL can be restored by wearing a brace and doing rehabilitation.
However, if the damage is severe, surgery is necessary to reconstruct the cruciate ligament.
ACL reconstruction surgery is to rebuild the disconnected ligament and uses the arthroscopic technique to remove the damaged ligament and reconstruct the ACL by using the patient’s own tendons or another preserved tendon.
Arthroscopic surgery is safer and more accurate as the surgeon directly looks at the arthroscopic monitor for a better sight of the surgical site.
Also, this minimally invasive surgery has the benefit of minimized pain and bleeding, faster recovery and a low risk of infection.
Other than the ACL, a meniscus tear is another risk factor as well.
The meniscus absorbs the impact in the knee and allows smooth knee movement.
Meniscus tears are likely to occur when the lower body is turned over while fixed to sports equipment, such as a ski.
If a meniscus tear is not severe, less than 1 cm, then conservative treatment, such as medication, physical therapy, or exercise therapy, is performed.
However, if the damage is severe, then endoscopic surgery should be performed, like with ACL reconstruction surgery.
However, the best treatment is to prevent the injury to begin with.
Prior to the activity, a 15-minute exercise to warm up the leg muscles should be performed. In addition, equipment should be carefully selected, and you should not be overconfident about using protective gear.
After the activity, a warm shower is helpful in relaxing the muscle.
More importantly, even if you are injured and do not have much pain, if any pain persists for more than one week, you should always visit the hospital to get an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
The writer is the chief of Sports Rehab Center at Bumin Hospital Haeundae in Busan.