Water on the Knee Symptoms

Water on knee commonly refers to knee effusion or swelling of the knee. Knee effusion results from an excessive accumulation of water or fluid in or around the knee joint. Usually, the lining of the knee joint capsule produces a fluid, known as synovial fluid. This lubricating fluid nourishes the cartilage along with facilitating the movement of the knee joint. Fluid accumulation or water on the knee occurs, when there is an excess production of synovial fluid, due to factors like, injury or trauma and certain underlying health conditions. There can be various water on the knee symptoms and causes, which are explained below.

Water on the Knee Causes

Fluid accumulation in and around the knee joint can occur due to injury or trauma to any part of the knee. Examples include, injury to the ligaments and meniscus tear. Even broken bones and overuse injuries can cause build up of fluid on the knee, as it is body's natural reaction to surround the injured knee with fluid in order to protect it from further damage. However, water on the knee is not always associated with traumatic injury. In fact, it can be a sign of certain diseases like, arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pseudogout, infection, kneecap bursitis, cysts and tumors. Obese people, as well as those involved in sport activities are more likely to get this condition frequently.

Water on the Knee Symptoms

One of the most common symptoms of water on the knee is swelling. The affected knee usually appears larger than the other knee. One can observe increased puffiness around the bony parts of the affected knee. Along with swelling, pain may also be present. In the case of osteoarthritis, pain usually occurs while bearing weight on the knee. Apart from these, water on the knee can affect the movement of the knee joint. As a result, the affected individuals can experience stiffness and they may fail to bend or straighten their knees completely. If the condition is caused by an injury or trauma, then one can observe bruising along with these usual fluid on the knee symptoms. Bruising can be easily noticed and it can occur on the front, side or the rear of the knee. In case of injury, bearing weight on the injured knee can be quite painful.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Water on the Knee

Diagnosis of water on the knee can involve various tests and examinations. Most often, the swollen knee is aspirated, which is called joint aspiration. In this procedure, the accumulated fluid inside the knee is withdrawn and checked for the presence of crystals, bacteria and blood. Other diagnostic tests include, X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests to look for infection, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and bleeding disorder. Treatment for water on the knee depends mainly on the factors that lead to the build up of fluid in or around the knee joint.

Usually, the water on the knee symptoms like, knee pain subsides or reduces with adequate rest, especially if the condition is caused by a traumatic injury. You can also find considerable relief by keeping the knee at an elevated position, and applying ice pack on it. Ideally, ice pack can be applied on the affected knee continuously, for about 15 minutes several times a day. Even after using ice pack, if the pain and inflammation do not resolve, then talk to your physician regarding the use of pain medications and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). NSAID along with corticosteroid injections and colchicine may be required, if water on the knee is caused by gout or pseudogout. A large build up of fluid and severe inflammation on the other hand, can necessitate aspiration of the joint, followed by the administration of corticosteroid injections.

Arthroscopic knee surgery is another treatment option, which the physicians may suggest occasionally, in order to relieve the water on the knee symptoms. But, if all these treatment options fail to reduce the knee swelling symptoms, then knee replacement can be suggested by the physicians. Knee replacement is usually recommended for water on the knee treatment, when the pain is intolerable and standing or bearing weight on the affected knee becomes impossible. To sum up, there are a number of treatment options for water on the knee, depending on the underlying causes and the associated symptoms. For proper diagnosis and prompt treatment, it is better to talk to a physician on observing any of the symptoms of water on the knee. Be sure to follow your physician's suggestions regarding the use of various medications.

Ligaments of the Knee

The knee joint is the largest joint in the body and forms a hinge between the thigh bone and the bones of the lower leg known as tibia and fibula. It is one of the most complicated joints in the human body and is made up of two articulations, one between the femur and tibia and the other between the femur and patella. It is a pivotal type of hinge joint that permits easy flexion and extension as well as slight lateral and medial rotation. The knee joint is supported by muscles and ligaments, that offer stability and strength to the joint. In this article, we shall discuss the different ligaments of the knee joint.

Ligaments of the Knee Joint

The ligaments of the knee protect the articular capsule of the knee and offer stability and strength to the knee joint. There are two main sets of ligaments that surround the knee joint, the collateral ligaments and the cruciate ligaments. Let us read about them in detail.

Collateral Ligaments
There are two collateral ligaments that run along either side of the knee joint. The medial collateral ligament is located on the inner side of the knee joint and strengthens the joint from inside. It extends from the medial femoral epicondyle to the upper inside edge of the shin bone or tibia. This ligament helps in preventing excessive abduction of the knee.

The second collateral ligament, known as the lateral collateral ligament is located on the outer side of the knee joint. It extends from the lateral femoral epicondyle to the top of the fibula. These two collateral ligaments, together, prevent the side to side movement of the knee joint. They also help in preventing the rotation between the thigh bone and the shin. The lateral collateral ligament is flexible as compared to the medial collateral ligament and is thus, less susceptible to injury. Twisting of the knee, force that pushes the foot outward or a direct hit to the knee can easily result in torn ligament.

Cruciate Ligaments
Another set of ligaments of the knee joint are the cruciate ligaments. The cruciate ligaments are named based on their attachment to the tibia. They are actually short, strong bands of fibrous tissue, that join the tibia to the femur. The anterior cruciate ligament runs posterolaterally from the tibia to the base of the femur. It is attached to the lateral femoral condyle. This cruciate ligament prevents the excessive movement of the femur on the tibia.

The posterior cruciate ligament extends from the rear of the tibia, slightly inwards, to the base of the femur. It is attached posteriorly to the medial femoral condyle. It prevents the excessive anterior movement of the femur bone on the tibia. The posterior cruciate ligament is generally stronger than the anterior cruciate ligament and hence, injuries to the latter are quite common. Landing on a hard surface after a high jump, changing direction rapidly and slowing down suddenly while running, can tear or cause injury to the anterior cruciate ligament. Tearing of anterior cruciate ligament can be a serious condition as compared to the injury caused to any other ligament of the knee. This is mainly because the knee joint stability gets profoundly affected in case of injury to this ligament. Knee exercises can help in strengthening the ligaments and muscles that surround the knee.

This was all about the ligaments of the knee joint. All these ligaments are extremely important for the stability and strength of the knee joint and an injury to any of these ligaments can cause a serious damage to the knee. Hope you found this article informative!

Unhappy Triad

Since the past few days, Micheal, a footballer, had been experiencing a nagging pain in his knee. It was swollen and he also noticed some bruise marks on his knee. Every time he walked, he felt like he would just lose his balance and fall down. The doctor told him that he was suffering from unhappy triad.

Wondering what's that? Well, unhappy triad is a knee injury which mainly sports persons suffer from. It involves the tearing of three important ligaments; the anterior cruciate ligament, the medical collateral ligament and the medial meniscus. Want some more information about it? Want to know how you can treat it? Here's some information on what it means and how one can treat it.

Unhappy Triad: Causes and Symptoms

Unhappy triad is also referred to as the O'Donoghue's triad or a 'blown knee'. It is a knee injury that usually occurs when the person has his foot fixed to the ground and then he receives the lateral force which causes the injury. This not a type of common knee injury, as it mainly occurs to those who play football as the player is hit on the outer side of his knee while his foot is planted firmly to the ground. In this injury, three structures of the knee are involved; the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial meniscus. A look into the past here. In the year 1950, O'Donoghue, coined the term 'unhappy triad' for the first time. But that time, it was not only the knee, but even the joint and shoulder injuries were referred to as the unhappy triad, although the name stayed. Let us see what happens in this injury.

The unhappy triad is a combination of ACL, MCL and the medial meniscus injury. Out of these three, ACL tear is the worst. It is very difficult to treat it too as surgery is needed sometimes. If the ACL tears, then the person cannot walk properly and the person feels as if his legs are going to give away any minute. ACL tear is like a nightmare for a footballer. They are the ones who get these kinds of tears. The second part of the tear is the meniscus tear. This is a cartilage in the knee and acts as a cushion for the bones. If that is destroyed then it takes time to heal as it receives less supply of blood. A damaged meniscus causes pain and swelling in the knee. The third and the final part of unhappy triad is the MCL. This ligament stabilizes the knee joint and if it's damaged, then the area starts swelling and the person's walk becomes uncertain. However, this does not need a surgery to be corrected.

So now that we know what is the unhappy triad injury, let us now see what are the symptoms of unhappy triad. The symptoms are the common things that have already been mentioned above; swollen knee, bruise marks on or around the knee, feeling that the knee might give away, and severe knee pain. These symptoms indicate whether or not a person has unhappy triad.

Unhappy Triad Injury Treatment

Players pray that they do not have this kind of injury. It's not that unhappy triad injury treatment is not treatable, surgery can be done to treat it. But the problem is the recovery time which is long. ACL can only be treated with the help of surgery which also helps to repair the meniscus. MCL does not require any surgery but only time to heal. Unhappy triad recovery time is long but with weeks of strict exercises and physical therapy and a proper diet, the player will be up in no time. Yes, it's true that in the beginning, he has to wear a knee brace but with proper care, the player can go back to his game again.

For players, unhappy triad is like a nightmare. But, unfortunately you cannot avoid injuries while on the ground. Accidents do happen and it's only with patience and care that one can overcome the difficulties. Easy to say, but hard to follow I know, but it's worth it.

Torn Ligament in Knee

There are four major ligaments which make up our knee and impart a solid strength to them. These strong elastic bands of tissue connect two bones to each other. These knee ligaments are extremely crucial as they are the weight bearing parts of our knees. Any injury or discomfort to this ligament can be really painful and can limit our mobility. Unfortunately quite a few of us have been through a ligament injury and for those who have not experienced it, there is no guarantee that it would not happen. Of course this is not to scare you, it is just to tell you the truth. So let us check out all about torn ligament in knee in the form of questions you might have about it.

How do I Recognize a Torn Ligament in Knee?

Several prominent torn ligament in knee symptoms can tell a person if he or she has torn a ligament in his or her knee. These are;

Popping Sound
One of the major indicators of a torn ligament is a popping sound or a 'snap' at the spot of the tear. The ligament which is torn, also may give away if a lot of weight is put on it. Actually what happens is that the ligament fibers are pulled apart, leading to a snap or a popping sensation.

Pain
Undoubtedly, pain is the most obvious result of a ligament being torn or in fact any injury. Be it a partially torn ligament or a completely torn ligament, pain is a consequence. Although the severity and the grade of pain will depend upon how severe the injury is. If the ligament injury is severe, it is going to cause extreme pain.

Swelling and Bruising
Torn ligament in knee, which is mostly associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), leads to swelling and bruising at the spot of injury. Soft tissue irritation in the concerned area and the surrounding muscle tissue leads to swelling. As a result of this, our body reacts by increasing the blood circulation and fluid flow in the affected area. This increases the swelling and causes bruising in and around the area where the ligament is torn and eventually it leads to bruising.

Instability and Limited Movement
As knees bear our weight, an injury like this is going to affect the range of our movement. An ACL tear hampers the normal joint functions as it affects the normal muscle action and strength across it. The joint then becomes unstable and weak. If the torn ligament is in a very severe state then the person may not even be able to move the knee. Sometimes the affected part may even get numb in addition to knee pain.

What is the Treatment for Torn Knee Ligament?

Torn ligament in knee treatment depends on how serious the injury is. If the injury is not very serious, then it can be dealt with at home. Sportsmen generally are seen to be suffering from this condition. The treatment involves;

Rest/Protection
It is important not to strain the torn ligament further, so give it as much rest as possible. You do not want to worsen things, do you?

Ice pack
This works well to prevent swelling in the injured area. Ice also helps normalizing the blood circulation and prevents swelling and inflammation if applied immediately after sustaining injury. Have either an ice bag or make a pack keeping ice cubes in a towel to avoid direct exposure of skin to ice and avoid skin irritation. Apply this for not more than 20 minutes at a time to avoid further damage to the ligaments of the knee.

Compression
Compression too helps in faster healing of knee. The joint can be compressed by bandaging and thus giving it support. It also reduces the swelling.

Pain killers
Mild non steroidal anti inflammatory pain killers can also be used in consultation with a doctor. That will help reduce swelling and contribute to overall recovery too.

Elevation
Elevating your knees at the level of your heart will further help in the recovery of torn ligament in knee.

A last resort, with regards to an ACL or a Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) tear is surgery. Torn ligament in knee surgery may be required if there is a serious rupture of the ligament and more than one ligament or tissue has been damaged. In case the anterior cruciate ligament is injured, even then surgery would be required for, especially if you are a lot into sports. It would also be required if there is a torn cartilage in knee.

Exercising properly and doing a good warm up before workout will help in preventing torn ligament in knee. I hope you have found all your answers related to that! This is where I sign off! Take care!

Tendons in the Knee

In this article I shall elaborate mainly on the tendons of the knee. The tendons of the knee form an intricate network that helps in proper movement of knee joints. Along with this, the ligaments and bones play a key role to bring out proper muscular coordination. With age, the tendons gradually lose strength and become brittle. The elasticity is also reduced causing terrible knee pain. This condition is often faced by middle aged people and the medical terminology for inflammation of knees is known as knee tendonitis.

Let's come back to the subject matter, i.e tendons of the knee. The anatomy of knee is very complex, being the largest joint of the body. Ligaments (get the details of ligaments of the knee) and tendons in the knee form the connecting junctions of bones to bones or bones to muscle. There are four major ligaments present in the knee joints. They are

    * Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)
    * Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL)
    * Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
    * Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL)

These three joints help in connecting either the interior (MCL, LCL) or the exterior (ACL, PCL) portions of the bones, which are of three types, the femur, patella and tibia. Muscles and tendons in the knee are interconnected with each other. Muscles surround the joints and are divided into three categories, namely the sartorius, the quadriceps and the patella. Contraction of knee is brought about by the hamstring muscles. Tendons are present at the end of muscles providing attachment with the bones. While describing the anatomy of a knee, we cannot miss out the cartilage tissues. The two types of cartilage present inside our knees are fibrocartilage and articular cartilage. Fibrocartilage, also known as meniscus makes the knees more congruent and offers protection from shock and injuries. Articular cartilage reduces friction between bones during movement. The structure of tendons shall be explained in following segment.

Tendons in the Knee: An Overview

As we have already said that tendons in the knee play an important role in connecting the muscles to the bones. The structure of tendons have been divided into 4 types. The four different types of tendons carry out specific functions. Described below are the different types of tendons.

Quadriceps Tendon
Attachment of the four quadriceps muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, rectus femoris) to the patella is brought about by the quadriceps tendon. Quadriceps help in extension of knee muscles. It's also a fact that quadriceps tendons are most vulnerable to tendonitis giving rise to a sprained knee.

Patellar Tendon
Patellar tendon is also known as patellar ligament since it is present between two bones. Patellar tendon provides attachment of tibia with the patella through the tibial tubercle. The average width of patellar tendon is 30 mm wide. It completes the attachment of quadriceps to lower legs quite effectively. Patellar tendonitis is very common among athletes.

Illiotibial Band
As the name suggests, this is a very long tendon that attaches tensor fascia latae muscle (TFL) to the knee, preferably on the lateral side. TFL provides medial rotation of the tibia. It's also known as hip abductor. Extension or flexing of knee pushes the muscle above the illiotibial band on the top of the fibula. Tightness of this tendon causes knee irritation and inflammation. Injury of illiotibial band is known as friction syndrome.

Hamstring Tendon
The last part of the knee tendon is known as hamstring tendon, running posterior portion of the thigh. Hamstring tendons are also known as knee flexors. Hamstring tendonitis, because of its position, is more often injured while swimming, playing badminton, basketball, tennis and soccer. It is present at the juncture of tibia and fibula running along the lateral and medial sides of the knee.

Knee Tendonitis: An Overview

Sports persons are always on the higher risk of developing knee tendonitis. Inflammation of knee muscles is a very painful condition that restricts movement of knees for time being. The joints swell causing redness (get some more info on knee pain causes). A sharp pain is experienced while trying to bend the knee, i.e while descending or ascending on stairs. Home remedies are carried out with ice compress and light physiotherapy exercises for knee pain. An X-ray is always suggested to know the intensity of the injury. Pain killers and treatment considerably subside the pain.

I hope the framework and structure of the tendons in the knee is now clear to you. However, if you are regularly engaged into sportive activities, be a little careful while performing the moves in order to avoid injury.

Unhappy Triad Injury

Knee is the largest joint in a human body. It comprises of femur (lower end of thighbone) and a knee cap (patella) which fits into the groove perfectly on one end of femur through a sliding mechanism. A knee also contains ligaments which aid in controlling motion by bracing joints against abnormal types of motion. Between the femur and the tibia (upper end of shinbone), there is a structure known as meniscus. This structure is constituted of soft cartilage between femur and tibia and absorbs any shock during leg movements. So when there is an injury to knee, a sudden knee pain is bound to be felt.

A torn ligament in knee could be one of the knee pain causes. However, when three structures of the knee, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), MCL (medial collateral ligament) and medial meniscus get affected by an external injury, the term coined for such a condition is unhappy triad injury. Let's understand the causes for this unhappy triad knee injury.

What is the Unhappy Triad Injury?
The unhappy triad injury is an aggregation of three types of knee injuries that are explained below. Since this knee injury involves a meniscus tear, an ACL tear and an MCL tear, the name unhappy triad is given to it. Let's understand each of these injuries in detail.

ACL Tear: The anterior cruciate ligament tear is very painful and the most crucial of all knee injuries. This ligament helps in balancing of legs. When there is an ACL tear, the person might experience a knee pain and inability to walk properly (occasionally buckling away).

Meniscus Tear: The second of the unhappy triad, meniscus tear involves tearing of the fibrocartilage in the knee joint, thereby reducing the resistance of the knees (since meniscus aids in cushioning the knee bone and reducing friction in bones). Medial meniscus tear can cause inflammation in the knee causing meniscus pain. Some popping sensations can also be felt in the knee.

MCL Tear: The unhappy triad is completed by the tear of the medial collateral ligament which runs along the inside of the knee. This ligament is responsible for providing stability to the knee joint. Symptoms of pain, decreased range of motion and instability indicate an MCL tear.

What Causes the Unhappy Triad?
The unhappy triad knee injury is an outcome of stressful and rigorous sports activities like football and rugby. When a blow is inflicted on the outside of the knee of an athlete (who is in stance position with feet on ground), chances of this unhappy triad injury are maximum. The ACL tear and meniscus tear can occur simultaneously during a plant and turn movement in the game. When the knee, after the first injury continues to move along the same path. The ACL tears further causing the knee to shift. Consequently, the femur and tibia compress against the meniscus causing the soft fibrocartilage to tear. And an external blow on the same spot adds to the MCL tear.

Prominent symptoms felt post unhappy triad injury are swelling in the knee with a bruise around it, severe knee pain, instability (this happens as tibia and femur slide against each other) and rupture in the triad ligaments.

Unhappy Triad Injury Treatment
The most painful part of the unhappy triad injury is the ACL tear. It can be treated only with surgery. A person having undergone this injury can take even months to recuperate completely. Reconstructing the ACL is the primary goal in the surgery after which the MCL tear and meniscus tear gradually start to heal. The unhappy triad recovery time can range between 6-9 months depending on the seriousness of the injury. Post surgery, knee braces can be used for prophylactic reasons. Many athletes use knee braces for running. This will reduce the probabilities of occurrence of this injury.

Unhappy triad injury is definitely a painful condition for players. But with a lot of surgical treatments and proper knee care, such conditions do recover quite fast. So next time, when indulging in physically engaging sport activities, if there is a sharp knee pain and instability felt while walking, do not ignore the symptoms! Check with the doctor at the earliest! Hope this article, on unhappy triad knee injury, was informative!

Dislocated Knee Aftercare

The knee joint comprises the thigh bone (femur), shin bone (tibia) and the kneecap (patella). These bones are attached to each other via tough bands of fibrous tissues that are referred to as ligaments. Menisci are pads of cartilaginous tissue that help in protecting the bones by reducing friction as one flexes, extends or rotates the knee. These pads also help in dispersing the weight of the body and reduce the stress on the joint. If any of the structures present in the knee get damaged due to repetitive strain or traumatic injuries, the knee can become unstable or even get dislocated. A dislocated knee, as the name suggests, is a medical condition wherein the bones that make up the knee joint fall out of place. This can affect the range of motion of the knee and affect one's ability to walk. As is the case with most health issues, a timely treatment is extremely important in order to restore the normal range of motion of the knee. While corrective surgery may be required to relocate the dislocated knee bones, following dislocated knee aftercare measures are also an extremely important part of the treatment. Given below is some information on the causes and symptoms of a dislocated knee along with treatment options.

Dislocated Knee: Causes and Symptoms

Before I move on to dislocated knee aftercare and recovery, let me tell you about the causes and symptoms of a dislocated knee. A dislocated knee is usually a direct result of a traumatic injury. A dislocated knee could be caused due to an accident, fall from a height or a sports injury. Those who participate in high speed contact sports are most likely to suffer from injuries that may lead to a knee dislocation. Structural abnormalities of the knee could also make one more susceptible to knee injuries. Those suffering from joint conditions such as knee arthritis or osteoporosis are also a great risk of suffering from knee dislocation. A knee dislocation is classified into anterior, posterior, medial, lateral or rotatory. It is the direction of the dislocation of the tibia or the shin bone that forms the basis of this classification.

The term knee dislocation must not be confused with subluxation or patellar dislocation. One is diagnosed with a dislocated knee if the thigh bone gets detached from the shin bone. Patellar dislocation, which is also referred to as the kneecap dislocation, occurs when the V-shaped patella that sits in the concave groove of the thigh bone, slips out of its groove at the end of the thigh bone. Subluxation is a condition wherein the knee slips from its position due to damage to a ligament. Subluxation is less serious as the knee usually slips back into the original position. On the other hand, a dislocated knee would have to be repositioned with the help of surgery. Most of the time, knee dislocation may be accompanied by damage to the cartilage or the anterior or the posterior cruciate ligaments. The symptoms of a dislocated knee include pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising or numbness in the lower leg. The knee may also look deformed.

Dislocated Knee: Treatment

If one experiences the aforementioned symptoms, one must consult a doctor immediately. An X-ray examination can help doctors ascertain whether the knee has been partially or completely dislocated. Dislocated knee treatment will depend on the extent of damage to the knee. In case of a mild injury to the knee, following the RICE principle will certainly prove beneficial. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. While rest is obviously important in order to allow the damaged ligaments or cartilage to heal, applying ice packs can reduce the swelling. Wearing a compression wrap or a knee brace will also prevent the knee from bending and will therefore, promote healing. Keeping the affected leg elevated will also help in reducing the swelling. Painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids may also be prescribed. An elaborate treatment will be required if the diagnostic tests indicate considerable damage to the ligaments, cartilage or the nerves. First of all, vascular or nerve injuries need to be attended to. The next step involves reconstruction of the ligaments and cartilage. Once ligament, cartilage or meniscus tears are repaired, and the affected knee has been relocated, one will have to follow precautions regarding dislocated knee aftercare so as to speed up dislocated knee recovery. One may have to wear a cast for a couple of months to keep the affected knee immobilized. This is to promote faster healing and prevent any further damage.

Dislocated Knee Aftercare and Healing Time

Dislocated knee recovery time depends on a variety of factors. If the patient adheres to the guidelines given by doctors and follows the aftercare measures religiously, he/she may recover quickly. In the first couple of months when the affected knee is immobilized, the stress is on preventing any damage and promoting healing. During this time, the patient must use crutches and avoid putting weight on the affected leg. One must refrain from any activity that may put strain on the affected knee. Once the ligaments and cartilage have healed considerably, there is a need to strengthen the muscles and regain the normal range of motion. This can be achieved by going for physiotherapy sessions and performing rehabilitation exercises suggested by the physiotherapist. It is extremely important that the knee is reconditioned well. One should resume weight-bearing activities or indulge in physical activities such as running or playing a sport, only after getting the clearance from the doctor. One may take about four to six months to recover from a dislocated knee, but if one neglects the aspect of dislocated knee aftercare, one may take longer to recover and may not even be able to recover the normal range of motion.

Complying with the dislocated knee aftercare measures is a very important part of the dislocated knee treatment. While it is important to prevent damage to the knee and let the damaged cartilage and ligaments heal during the early stages of rehabilitation, it is important to regain the motion of the knee as well. Those who don't follow the self care measures may later be plagued by the serious issues of knee instability and may find it hard to flex, extend or rotate the knee effortlessly.