Knee Sprain

When To Call A Professional

If you injure your knee, call your doctor to request an urgent evaluation if the knee:

• Becomes very painful or swollen

• Cannot bear weight

• Feels as if it will buckle or give out

Prognosis

About 90% of people with ACL injuries and 80% with PCL injuries can expect a full recovery after proper treatment and a good physical therapy program. Almost all MCL sprains and most LCL sprains have an excellent prognosis.

As a long-term complication, some people with ACL or PCL sprains eventually develop pain from osteoarthritis in the injured knee joint. These symptoms may not start until 15 to 25 years after the initial knee injury.

Additional Info

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse 1 AMS Circle Bethesda, MD 20892-3675 Phone: (301) 495-4484 Toll-Free: (877) 226-4267 Fax: (301) 718-6366 TTY: (301) 565-2966 http://www.niams.nih.gov/

National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) 4200 Forbes Boulevard Suite 202 Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: (301) 459-5900 http://www.naric.com/naric/

American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine 6300 North River Rd. Suite 200 Rosemont, IL 60018 Phone: (847) 292-4900 Toll-Free: (877) 321-3500 Fax: (847) 292-4905 http://www.sportsmed.org/

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 6300 North River Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018-4262 Phone: (847) 823-7186 Toll-Free: (800) 346-2267 Fax: (847) 823-8125 http://www.aaos.org/

National Athletic Trainers' Association 2952 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75247-6196 Phone: (214) 637-6282 Fax: (214) 637-2206 http://www.nata.org/

American Physical Therapy Association 1111 North Fairfax St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1488 Phone: (703) 684-2782 Toll-Free: (800) 999-2782 Fax: (703) 684-7343 http://www.apta.org/