What Are the Symptoms of a Knee Fracture?
Naturally, the most significant symptom is pain. You can expect this pain to get worse when you try to put weight on the affected leg. The knee joint will swell up and your range of movement will be limited by the swelling and pain as well as by any mechanical damage that has occurred as a result of the fracture. As a knee fracture causes the proximal tibia to lose its structural integrity this may be reflected by deformation in the shape of the knee.
One of the most significant symptoms of such a fracture can occur if the blood vessels in your leg have been caught up in the trauma. If the blood supply to your foot has been compromised, you can expect your foot to feel colder and look paler than usual. It's important that you get to your doctor right away to prevent any permanent damage to body parts below the affected blood vessels.
Similarly, this kind of trauma can also affect nerve fibers. If you've damaged a nerve or the swelling is pressing on a nerve, you're going to feel a tingling sensation in your foot. You may also detect a degree of numbness in the foot or calf if you have sustained some nerve damage. Again, it's very important that you get your leg treated immediately to reduce the risk of any long term sequelae.
How Is Such a Fracture Treated?
Knee fractures are treated differently depending on the severity of the damage caused, particularly in terms of whether there has been any damage to any nearby nerves and/or blood vessels. As with much of medical treatment, your options are surgical or non-surgical.
In the most severe cases where there's an open fracture or extreme swelling, surgery will have to take place to put everything back in place and preserve the joint as well as all associated tissues.
With open fractures, the exposure of the joint to the outside world is a big problem. Bacteria and other microorganisms can gain access cause infections which are very difficult to treat if they are not dealt with swiftly. Open fractures are treated by cleansing all of the exposed tissue and surgically relocating the joint so that it can heal and regain its original function.
Surgery may not be possible until the tissues surrounding your knee have had time to heal somewhat. During this time your doctor will use metal components to stabilize the knee joint. This external fixation makes sure that your leg bones are in their proper place ready for your operation at a later date.
In the worst case scenario the swelling is so bad that the muscles, blood vessels and nerves in your leg are compressed to such a degree that they stop working. If this so-called compartment syndrome occurs, you'll require emergency surgery to open up the tissues in the leg and relieve this dangerously high pressure.
What If I Don't Want or Need Surgery?
Your doctor will make use of the latest modern imaging techniques to help them come to a decision on whether you need surgery or not. In many cases the proximal tibia is fractured by the bone fragments are so displaced that they need to be directly manipulated. In such a fortunate scenario, you will need to use casts and knee braces to help you recover full function of your knee.
Nowadays knee braces are designed by experts and made with the application of the latest developments in medical and material sciences. This means that a knee brace is your best chance at regaining complete function of your knee joint, including a full range of movement without any restrictions.
If you need a high-quality knee brace to help you get back on your feet, then you need look no further. The best knee braces to treat your knee fracture can be found online at the lowest prices.
