The Most Common Auto Accident Injury

Denver Whiplash InjuryTake a guess, what would you say is the most common auto accident injury? I bet you didn’t get it, it’s actually a knee injury. Contrary to popular belief, the most common auto accident injury today is injury to the knee. If we take a moment to think about it, it makes sense. Our legs are not supported by anything in the care and are left completely exposed to many gadgets and spaces within the area we drive. In that little confined space we have our dashboard, a front tire, car door and of course the steering wheel, plenty of different places and things to hit our legs on when rear ended.

When your knee impacts with something in the car, quite logically it can suffer bone damage. To many, this may seem like a simple knock or bruise that will pass, but more often than not, serious damage has been done. What actually happens in many cases is that one of the four main ligaments in the knee – the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), get damaged. One common type of knee injury is the ‘dashboard knee’, which occurs from the force of the knee hitting the dashboard and actually tearing the PCL. Something that sounds painful, is painful, and needs immediate chiropractic care and therapy.

The PCL is the strongest ligament in the knee and it extends from the top-rear surface of the tibia, right to the bottom-front surface of the femur. The ligament is vitally important as it prevents the knee from posterior instability (preventing the tibia from moving too much and moving behind the femur). The impact may be so hard that it may also cause dislocation of the knee, in turn injuring nerves and blood vessels too.

While injury to the PCL can be extremely devastating, injury to the other ligaments in the knee can be just as traumatic. ACL injury is one of the most serious and a common symptom of this trauma is inability to walk. MCL injury will be highlighted by a sufficient amount of bruising and swelling. So, if you’ve recently been in a fender-bender and notice any of these signs, it’s time to prescribe your body the care it desperately needs and deserves.

Not all symptoms of injury after an auto accident are clear, leaving many serious injuries going unnoticed. It is therefore extremely important to seek medical advice and pay attention to even the slightest change within the body after an accident. Common symptoms of different types of knee injury, ranging from acute to severe include:

“¢A ripping or popping sensation during time of impact
“¢Tenderness or tingling
“¢Locking or grinding
“¢Weakness and instability on the knee
“¢Bruising
“¢Temperature / Fever
“¢Pain while resting or even doing activities
“¢Deformity or protruding bones from fractures
“¢Change in range of motion e.g. inability to extend the knee or walk

If you think you may have suffered a knee injury as a result of an auto accident, don’t delay, book an appointment with us at Denver South Chiropractic and Rehab clinic now.