abnormal twist in your knee while your weight is on the leg. In each case, your knee is bent at the moment of injury. A sudden stress with the knee bent, even when you are not standing on the leg, can be enough to tear the cartilage. Cartilage tears can also be caused by a sudden over- stress when your knee is straight, for instance if you miss a drop kick in rugby.The collateral ligaments can also be injured in sporting activities, such as skiing or football. This usually occurs when the lower leg is forced sideways; either towards the other knee (medially) or away from the other leg (laterally). A blow to the outside of the knee while the foot is planted can put stress on the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and result in a tear of the ligament. Slipping on the ice can cause the foot to slip outward, taking the lower leg with it. The body weight pushing down causes a force on the whole leg -- just like bending a green stick. The MCL may be torn in this instance because the force hinges the knee open putting stress on the MCL. One way to injure both the medial collateral ligament and the lateral collateral ligament is to twist the upper leg in one direction and the lower leg in the opposite direction.Knee injuries are an epidemic. They are present now more than ever. Players and athletes are pushing themselves harder and longer and are suffering the consequences. Maybe we need to slow down and return to the principals of the old games. We should play games for fun and to try and injure the other players. We need to change the way we think about playing sports....
