Knee sprains are common injuries of the knee. And as often the case, one of the first questions that comes to mind when it happens to you: how long will it take to recover from a knee sprain? And what is the treatment required?
As a diagnostic radiographer, I rely on my professional experience as well as my research in medical scientific studies dedicated to the subject matter. All resources used are at the end of this article.
Happy reading!😀
Any questions? remarks? Let’s meet in the comments section at the end of this article.🙏
Last updated: July 2024. Written by Juliet Semakula, a diagnostic radiographer.
Disclaimer: no affiliate links.
▶️What is a knee sprain?
Knee sprain are stretches and tear of the knee ligaments in and around the knee.
Our knees are a complex joint that contains three bones, the femur, patella and tibia. These joints are attached together by ligaments and muscles.
Ligaments are string-like bands of tissue that connect your bones and create stability for the joint.
These ligaments can be affected by sprains and strains injuries. Knee sprains can sometimes be serious injuries that occur from a stretch or tear of the ligaments in and around the knee.
▶️What are the four main ligaments of the knee that are most often damaged?
1️⃣ Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) located inside the knee joint.
2️⃣Posterior Cruciate ligament (PCL) located inside the knee joint.
Both ligaments bridge the inside of the knee joint, forming an “X” pattern that stabilises the knee against front-to-back and back-to-front forces.
Sprains to these knee ligaments often happen because of a direct impact to the front of the knee, such as hitting the knee on the dashboard in a car crash or landing hard on a bent knee during sports.
3️⃣Medial Collateral ligaments (MCL) located on the sides of the knee joint
The MC ligaments can be injured by a severe knee twist during skiing or wrestling, particularly when a fall twists the lower leg outwards, away from the upper leg.
4️⃣Lateral Collateral ligaments (LCL) located on the side of the knee joint.
It is the least likely knee ligament to be sprained because most LCL injuries are caused by a blow to the inside of the knee, and that area usually is shielded by the opposite leg.
▶️What would cause a knee sprain?
♦️ Knee sprains can be caused by non-contact twisting of the knee or a direct blow to the knee.
♦️If you are a sports person, try warming up before exercising, to avoid tired muscles because these can lead to sprain.
♦️Hard blow to the knee (for instance, while playing sports),a car crash.
♦️Landing awkwardly after a fall or jump or putting too much pressure on the knee
▶️Classification of knee sprains.
Acute soft tissue sprain injuries can be graded according to their severity from grade 1 to III.
Grade1️⃣these are mild injuries that stretch the ligament, it can cause microscopic tears in the ligament.
These tiny tears don’t significantly affect the overall ability of the knee joint to support your weight. Pain and swelling will be minimal too.
Grade2️⃣ -these are moderate injuries that partially damage the ligament, and there is some mild to moderate instability (or periodic giving out) of the knee while standing or walking. You will have significant swelling and pain.
Grade3️⃣these are severe injuries that tear the ligament completely or separate it at its end from the bone, and the knee is more unstable. You may feel an audible knee pop, occasionally delayed pain before the inflammation process starts. Considerate swelling and bleeding.
▶️How do I tell if I sprained or strained my knee?
A sprain is an injury to the ligaments and capsule of a joint in the body. A strain is an injury to muscles or tendons.
These two injuries have almost the same symptoms and treatment.
It’s likely to be a sprain or strain if:
♦️You have pain, tenderness or weakness usually around your knee after a direct blow or twist.
♦️The injured area is swollen or bruised
♦️You cannot put weight on the injured knee or move it.
♦️You have muscle spasms or cramping where your muscles painfully tighten on their own
♦️Walking with a limp or feeling that the knee is going to give out with standing or walking
▶️What is the immediate care of a knee sprain or strain that can help to stabilise and decrease pain before you see a doctor?
According to the NHS UK guidelines, following these 5 steps known as PRICE therapy will help bring the swelling down and support the injury in the first 2 to 3 days.
The P.R.I.C.E. This method can help to stabilise the leg and decrease pain both before and after medical evaluation.
P.R.I.C.E home therapy:
Protection- protect the injured knee using a brace or wrap support.
Rest– means you can stop any exercise or activities and try not to put any weight on the injury
Ice –you can apply ice to the injured knee for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
Compression– you can wrap a bandage around the knee to support it during the day.
Elevate-keep your knee raised on a pillow as much as possible
⚠️Caution! ⚠️To prevent swelling, avoid heat such as hot baths and heat packs, alcohol and messages for the first couple of days.
You can speak to a pharmacist about the best treatment for you, you will be given cream or gel to rub on the skin or spray to bring the swelling down. Or given painkillers like paracetamol to ease pain.
▶️When do you seek medical emergence?
You’ve had an injury and:
♦️It’s very painful, or the pain is getting worse.
♦️There’s a large amount of swelling or bruising, or the swelling or bruising is getting worse.
♦️It hurts to put weight on it.
♦️It feels very stiff or is difficult to move.
♦️It’s not feeling any better after treating it yourself.
♦️You also have a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery this could be an infection
These signs can be for something else around your knee However, you can only be sure when you have gone for:
🟣Physical examination. Your doctor will test your ability to move and put weight on your knee during a physical exam. The doctor will watch while you walk across the room to see if you have a limp.
You may also be asked to bend and straighten your leg while seated. Based on your range of movement, your doctor can determine which part of the knee is injured.
🟣An X-ray won’t display a stretched or torn ligament, but it can show fluid that may have collected around your knee due to a sprain.
This test can also find other possible causes of knee pain, like arthritis or a broken bone.
🟣 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be needed to provide a clear image of the damaged parts of your knee and shows how severely the joint is injured.
🟣An ultrasound will be used to show your soft tissues, so it can help your doctor diagnose injuries in your ligaments and tendons.
▶️What happens if a sprained knee goes untreated?
Your injured knee will continue to degenerate If left untreated. Often when the cause of bad knee pain is left untreated it can lead to further injury and serious complications.
Your knee may swell, become unstable, lock up, and/or develop a deformity.
Unbearable knee pain will not go away until you finally seek treatment.
▶️What are treatment options for a sprained knee?
Most knee sprains may be treated with non-surgical procedures that focus on bringing the knee back to full strength
Treatment of a knee sprain will depend on the specific types of sprain grade you have got.
Treatment for a knee sprain is usually conservative, unless you have got a severe grade III ACL or PCL sprain or if multiple ligaments are injured.
Non- surgical treatments for knee sprains
Physical therapy. After you have used the P.R.I.C.E therapy, it is typical for a knee sprain to be treated with physical therapy.
Physical therapy will involve a mixture of exercises aimed at strengthening the knee and activities that increase and restore knee flexibility.
Two primary components of physical therapy are:
1️⃣ Weight training you will be encouraged to start with simple exercise which may involve resistance bands, weighted braces or exercise equipment that involves the knee joint.
2️⃣Stretching for flexibility of your knee will help a therapist to regularly measure the range of motion and movement. With an aim of helping, you retain your normal mobility.
A physical therapist can prescribe specific exercises to help you use your knee again and regain strength in your legs.
Stretching the knee, thigh, and leg will gradually restore your range of motion to pre-injury levels, while strengthening thigh and leg muscles can help to support the knee.
As your knee and muscles grow stronger, your physical therapist guides you in returning to more vigorous activity.
Surgery option:
If the knee sprain is severe, surgery may be necessary to repair the damaged ligament(s). Surgery is typically only recommended if the knee sprain is a Grade III (full ligament tear).
You may undergo reconstruction surgically using either a piece of your own tissues (autograft) or a piece of donor tissue (allograft) using a camera-guided arthroscopy surgery.
▶️How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Knee Sprain?
Your Knee sprain recovery time will depend on the severity of your injury.
If you have a Grade 1 sprain, where your ligament stretches but doesn’t tear. This injury will often heal in one to two weeks following proper at-home treatment.
If you have a Grade 2 sprain where you partially tear your ligament. It may take a month or longer to recover from this moderate injury.
You will likely have a longer recovery period if you need surgical reconstruction following a Grade 3 sprain.
After Surgery you will need crutches for 6 to 8 weeks following their procedure and may need to see a physical therapist for rehabilitation.
Topical recovery time-line of knee sprain.
| Steps | Typical Time frame from day of sprain | |
| Swelling in your knee subsides | Several weeks to months | |
| You experience significantly less Pain | With in 2 weeks | |
| Exercise such as running | Avoid for up to 8 weeks. | |
| Resume walking with crutches With out crutches | Immediately Sometimes immediately or within a few weeks. | |
| Returning to sports | 6 months | |
| Your ligaments are well healed | 4 -6 weeks | |
| Severe sprains & strains can take months to go back to normal function | 3months to 1 year | |
| You can drive a car | A few days to a few weeks | |
| You return to work | A few days to a few weeks | |
| Its time to return to sports | 1-6 months | |
▶️Can you walk on a sprained knee?
You can put weight through your injured knee, but you must be guided by your pain and swelling.
Try to walk little and often, pace yourself and follow the PRICER (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate and Rehab) principles.
What you must know is that walking will not damage your knee further, resting the affected ligaments, tendons, and muscles for a few weeks to give the knee time to heal is always advisable.
Your doctor may provide crutches to help you keep weight off the affected knee for about a week
You can start walking after the swelling starts to subside, most people can walk while wearing a knee brace.
Always try to walk normally using heel down first, gradually increase your activity as the pain and swelling subsides.
▶️Should you use a wrap (brace) on your knee to ease pain?
A knee brace for support called compression can be wrapped around the knee but not too tight.
The right compression should control swelling of the knee. But it should not cause pain or swelling in other parts of the leg.
Different braces will help you in different ways based on your injury. Doctors and physiotherapy will recommend a knee brace but with physiotherapy exercises if your injury is severe.
Benefits of knee brace
🟣It helps reduce pain and swelling
🟣Manage chronic injury or osteoarthritis that may have flared up
🟣Support and stabilise the knee after the sprain
⚠️Caution! ⚠️Knee braces are designed to help manage and distribute the pressure around your knee.
It is important to know what kind of injury you have because it will help you buy the right brace.
We have come to the end of this article! I wish you a very quick recovery!🙋
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🟣Swelling after a total knee replacement.
🟣Can you knee with a knee replacement.
📚Source:
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Lukas S, Putman S, Delay C, Blairon A, Chazard E, Letartre R. Knee Ligament Sprains: Diagnosing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries by Patient Interview. Development and Evaluation of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Score (ACLIS). Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2022 May;108(3):103257. doi: 10.1016/j.otsr.2022.103257. Epub 2022 Feb 24. PMID: 35219887.
Logerstedt DS, Scalzitti D, Risberg MA, Engebretsen L, Webster KE, Feller J, Snyder-Mackler L, Axe MJ, McDonough CM. Knee Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Knee Ligament Sprain Revision 2017. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017 Nov;47(11):A1-A47. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.0303. PMID: 29089004.