Strength training can help protect knees

Long

Q: Why do so many athletes have knee surgery?

A: The knee is susceptible to injury primarily because of its location. Being between two long levers - thigh and lower leg - and only bending forward and backward - flexion and extension - the knee may be injured when an athlete is struck from the side or the foot plants in one direction while the leg turns in the other.

The good news is how far sports medicine has progressed in the past decade or so. There are now procedures, such as ACL replacement, that can address injuries that once ended a sports career just 15 years ago.

Females tend to suffer more knee injuries than males particularly in soccer and basketball. Possible reasons for this include physical differences in a female's knee such as ligament size, body movement, hormonal changes and limb alignment because of a female's wider hip width.

Artificial turf has also been blamed for many knee injuries as it is sometimes "stickier" than real grass and causes the foot to grab, which can torque the knee. Being overweight or obese can also aggravate knee problems by adding more weight than the joint is meant to handle. Arthritis and the natural wear and tear of this vital joint also take their toll on knee health as we age.

Strength training, aerobic exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight help maintain healthy and strong knees. Sometimes a thigh muscle imbalance may occur and specific weight-training exercises may be of great value. A physical therapist or certified athletic trainer can help with most knee problems.

Matthew Verret, director of athletic training for Mississippi College added, "In my experience, one of the causes of knee injuries has been overtraining. Some coaches don't realize it, but, by the time the athlete gets to competition, they are fatigued. The combination of this fatigue and the lack of focus that it causes can put an athlete at risk for injury."