The human knee is a powerful hinge joint. The knee and leg move through the cooperation of multiple muscles and bones, as well as connective tissue. People use their knees whenever they walk, sit or lift.
People in a variety of different professions could damage one or more of the components of their knees in an incident at work. Knee injuries can cause chronic pain or limit someone’s functional ability until their injury heals. In some cases, significant knee injuries, like tears in connective tissue, can cause long-term symptoms that prove debilitating for the injured party.
Some knee injuries occur while people are playing sports or doing work around the home, but many people hurt their knees on the job. What types of incidents at work could lead to knee injuries?
Slip-and-falls
People who slip, trip or otherwise lose their balance and then fall can hurt themselves in many different ways. The muscular contractions and spastic motions people experience while falling can cause damage to their extremities and joints. Someone who loses their balance could overextend or twist their knees, possibly leading to injuries that require time off to heal or even surgery.
Car crashes
People who travel in motor vehicles while working among those at the highest level of risk for an on-the-job injury. Blunt-force trauma from the vehicle to the knees could break bones or damage connective tissue. The violent motion of a crash could lead to twisting or over-extension injuries in the knees as well. Anyone who drives a vehicle or occasionally rides in one while on the clock is potentially at risk of hurting their knees if a collision occurs.
Overuse injuries
The final common reason that people hurt their knees at work relates to overuse. Either attempting to lift too much from a bent knee position or repeatedly bending and twisting one’s legs on the job could potentially lead to someone developing repetitive stress injuries or acquiring an injury from pushing their body too far.
Knee injuries tend to affect people’s mobility and overall quality of life in addition to requiring medical care and possibly time away from work. Pursuing workers’ compensation benefits is a reasonable reaction to a knee injury acquired as a result of one’s employment.