The triad knee injury It is considered one of the most complex and disabling for those who suffer from it. It involves damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the internal meniscus and the internal lateral ligament. The triad usually occurs in high-impact sports or sudden twisting movements, which causes intense pain and great instability. If you want to know how to recover from this injury, keep reading because physiotherapy is your great ally.
The knee triad refers to the injury of three important structures of the joint at the same time:
- Anterior cruciate ligament: The main stabilizer of the knee, responsible for preventing excessive forward movement of the tibia and controlling rotation. Crucial in turns and changes of direction.
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL) or medial collateral ligament (ILL): Stabilizer and protector of the knee against lateral forces, forces that try to “open” the internal joint interline.
- Internal meniscus: Cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the tibia and femur on the inner part of the knee. It is responsible for distributing loads and reducing impact on the joint, as well as contributing to knee stability.
The problem with this injury is the great instability that occurs in the knee, seriously affecting daily life activities.
The knee triad usually occurs after an excessive rotation mechanism. This type of injury is common in sports such as skiing, football, rugby or basketball.
In the following video, Dr. Vicente de la Varga, a sports traumatologist, tells us about the triad injury that Gerard Piqué suffered a few years ago.
How is a triad clinically diagnosed? Symptoms
The first warning sign of having suffered a knee triad are the clinical signs that occur after the trauma:
- Severe pain after trauma.
- Rapid inflammation.
- Significant instability.
- Audible click.
- Limitation of movement when bending or straightening the knee.
To confirm the diagnosis, a more complete medical evaluation is necessary through imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging and x-ray, through which we can determine the damaged structures.
What types of movements can cause a knee injury like the triad?
The triad injury occurs as a result of a sudden movement that combines extreme rotation or torsion with a forced valgus of the joint when the leg is supported and the foot is fixed on the ground.
It can be caused by direct trauma (lateral impact) or indirect trauma (turning or rapid change of direction, bad landing, etc.).
Is skiing a sport with a risk of knee injury? Ligaments, menisci and triad.
As we have previously mentioned, and now that the winter season is approaching, skiing is a sport where there is a high risk of knee injuries such as the triad, since it is an activity that combines high speed, turns in a short space of time, changes of direction, unbalancing supports due to uneven terrain and landings after jumps where the body weight is displaced.
In addition, materials such as rigid boots keep the foot immobilized, so that twisting movements and external forces are concentrated on the knee joint.
Another very common injury mechanism in this sport is when the skis get caught in the snow and the body follows the movement, which can cause an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament and, with it, the rest of the structures. If the ski is poorly adjusted or the bindings are not released at the right time, the probability of injury increases.
As this is a high-speed, long-duration sport, muscle strength and endurance are key to preventing injuries. However, muscle fatigue often causes a loss of ability to stabilise the knee, encouraging injury.
If you want to prevent knee ligament and meniscus injuries in the snow, we recommend:
- Muscle strengthening: Train with high loads at times far from the season and with more sport-specific gestures as the time of activity approaches. Try to cover imbalances and carry out training close to the injury mechanism.
- Go to the physiotherapist for a tune-up: Maintaining healthy muscles through recovery sessions is essential to avoid muscle fatigue. In addition, your physiotherapist can give you some guidelines and advice to apply based on your weaknesses and on an individual basis.
- Good technique and preparation: Learning proper turning, braking, and landing techniques can prevent joint-involving movements.
- Suitable equipment: It is important that the boots and bindings are appropriate for the weight, size and level of the skier.
- Pre-warming: As in any sport, good activation and increased body temperature improve the elasticity of the muscles involved in skiing.
- Avoid overconfidence: A sport like skiing can be very dangerous if the person does not respect the rules on the slopes or thinks that his or her level is superior by performing maneuvers or descending slopes for which he or she is not prepared.
How long can it take to fully recover from a knee triad injury?
The rehabilitation of a patient with a triad injury will be determined by the degree of involvement of the damaged knee structures, the surgical intervention performed, the biology of the patient and the rehabilitation carried out by the physiotherapist (with our team of professionals you are in good hands).
What we do know is that it involves a post-surgical rehabilitation of between 10 and 12 months to return to sports activity, in the best possible condition and minimizing the risk of relapse.
Physiotherapy treatment must be guided from the beginning and supervised to the end, taking care of every detail, respecting the healing times of injured tissues and synchronizing the biological phase with the functional phase.
During the first phases, the inflammatory process and the recovery of the joint range without pain will be worked on. Through technology such as diathermy, it is possible to improve the condition of the injured tissue and prepare it for therapeutic exercise, which will be the main tool to advance in recovery. In more advanced phases, strength, speed and muscular resistance will be increased to finish with plyometric, explosive and more difficult exercises, so that the patient is prepared to return to his or her daily or sporting activity.
Physiotherapy in Alcalá de Henares for the treatment of triad and knee injuries.
Evolution Advanced Physiotherapy is a Reference center in Alcalá de Henares for the recovery of post-surgical and sports injuries.
The professional team is made up of dedicated physiotherapists with a clear objective: to help the patient in all phases of their injury, providing them with security and confidence during the process.
As health experts, we have designed a physiotherapy clinic that has an appropriate space along with cutting-edge material and technology for the best development of active treatment and the achievement of the therapeutic objective.
Schedule your appointment with us and start your rehabilitation! You are in the best hands.
