A sport related knee injury is one of the most common injuries in kids. If your child has a knee injury while playing, the first thing you want to do is look at the knee for signs of swelling, bruising, redness, dislocation or deformity. You also want to look for a pulse by the foot. If the knee is dislocated, DO NOT try to relocate it. Call EMS immediatly.
It is common to have some pain when walking but if the pain is very severe or he/she is unable to bear weight at all then let the knee rest. The first line of treatment is ice. Ice is a great anti-inflamatory. You can also elevate the legs to help with the swelling. If it is a simple sprain or strain, then rest, ice, compression with an ace wrap and elevation should help. If the pain does not improve within 48 hours then you should see your doctor. Some of the red flags you want to look for are: knee weakness or buckling, clicking or popping sounds, no pulse in the legs, numbness and tingling, inability to bear weight, deformity or dislocation. In these situations, you should seek immediate medical help.
The most common reason for knee pain is usually strain or sprain in the joint, muscle or ligaments, which can get better within a few days to a week. Other reasons for knee pain can be a ligament or meniscal tears or fractures. In these cases, the pain does not get better and can actually worsen.
See attached image for the proper place to check for a pedal pulse. The pedal pulse is sometimes difficult to find, so dont base your conclusion on this alone.
Hopefully, this will help all the parents, coaches and kids to be more aware and prepared when out in the field.
