Non-penetrating injury caused by a blow to the knee of mild to medium intensity.
It is usually caused by a fall on a hard, smooth surface, or by a direct blow with a hard, blunt object. The most common causes are trauma caused by contact sports, traffic accidents and accidents at work and in the home.
It is characterised by pain in the knee joint, bruising and swelling. Limited leg movement may also occur on occasions. There may be ligament, cartilage and meniscus injury.
The diagnosis is established by medical history and physical examination of the limb. In many occasions X-rays are required to rule out fractures.
Treatment aims to reduce pain and inflammation, using indirect local cold, rest, elevation of the limb and analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Anthony Beutler. Physical examination of the knee. UpToDate, Junio 2016
- Shahla Modarresi. Radiologic evaluation of the acutely painful knee in adults. UpToDate, diciembre 2015
- Mustonen AO. Acute knee trauma: analysis of multidetector computed tomography findings and comparison with conventional radiography. Acta Radiol 2005; 46:866.
- Duncan JB. Injured stable knee with acute effusion: MRI evaluation. J South Orthop Assoc 1996; 5:13.
- John J. Cush. Valoración de los trastornos articulares y musculoesqueléticos. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna, 19e. Capítulo 393.
