As soon we say knee fracture, the first thing that comes to our mind is a kneecap fracture. But a knee fracture can happen in any bone around the knee, including the tibia (shin bone) and the femur (thigh bone).
There are many causes for these types of fractures, which include sports-related injuries, automobile accidents, and falls particularly falls from heights. Apart from an accident or injury, sometimes even moving the wrong way can cause a fracture, especially among the elderly and others suffering from bone and joint degeneration.
In most cases, these fractures can be treated with immobilization, but more severe fractures may require surgery.
Below are a few common types of knee fractures:
Distal Femur Fractures:
Fractures of the thighbone that occur just above the knee joint are called distal femur fractures. Distal femur fractures most often occur either in older people whose bones are weak or in younger people who have high energy injuries, such as from a car crash. In both the elderly and the young, the breaks may extend into the knee joint and may shatter the bone into many pieces.
Proximal Tibia Fractures:
A fracture, or break, in the shinbone just below the knee is called a proximal tibia fracture. In addition to the broken bone, soft tissues (skin, muscle, nerves, blood vessels, and ligaments) may also get injured at the time of the fracture.
Patella Fractures:
A patella fracture is a break of the kneecap. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and bruising to the front of the knee. It typically results from a hard blow to the front of the knee or falling on the knee.
Ligament Avulsion Fractures:
An avulsion fracture occurs when a tendon or ligament that is attached to the bone pulls a piece of the fractured bone off. Avulsion fractures can happen anywhere in the body but are most common in the knee, ankle, hip, finger, and foot.