Knee and Leg Injuries After a Car Accident: Examined Within 14 Days

In a frontal crash the driver's knees travel forward into the lower dashboard. That impact bruises the kneecap and the fat pad behind it, and if the force is high it drives the shin bone backward and sprains the posterior cruciate ligament. This is called dashboard knee. Side impacts push the door into the outside of the knee and sprain the MCL on the inside.

Bracing is the other mechanism. Drivers who see the crash coming stand on the brake, which loads the hip flexor, the quadriceps tendon, and the ankle at the instant of impact. Rear-end hits on Federal Highway and the Sawgrass Expressway are often braced hits. The foot twists under the pedal and sprains the ankle.

Dr. Carol McNamara-Krauss is a Florida-licensed chiropractic physician (DC), license CH5281. The leg exam covers the hip, knee, and ankle on both sides, with range of motion measured and recorded. Knee ligaments are tested one at a time for laxity. The kneecap is checked for tracking and tenderness, the hip for impingement, and the ankle for ligament injury. The low back is examined as well, because leg pain often starts in the spine.

X-rays are ordered when you cannot bear weight, when there is bone tenderness, or when the knee swelled within an hour of the crash, which suggests bleeding inside the joint. An MRI is ordered for suspected ligament or meniscus tears, through our imaging and specialist referral process.

The knee and leg are extremities, so the full set of tools is available. Class IV laser therapy on the LightForce system reduces swelling in a bruised knee or sprained ankle in the acute phase. Shockwave therapy on the Chattanooga system treats tendon injuries at the kneecap, hamstring, and Achilles once the acute phase has passed. Laser and shockwave are never applied to the same area.

Therapeutic ultrasound is used on ligament sprains and the hip flexor. Electrical stimulation reduces spasm in the quadriceps and calf. Chiropractic adjustments restore motion to the hip, the sacroiliac joint, and the ankle when they have locked down. When leg pain traces to a lumbar disc, spinal decompression on the Antalgic-Trac system addresses the source.

A bruised knee or a mild ligament sprain improves over a few weeks. Tendon injuries and higher-grade sprains take longer, and a torn meniscus or ligament that is not healing goes to an orthopedic specialist. We track swelling, range of motion, and your ability to walk, climb stairs, and squat at set intervals.

For the claim, the file holds the initial orthopedic and neurological findings for the leg and low back, range-of-motion measurements for each joint, imaging results, the treatment and machine used at every visit, and your reported pain and function, in a proprietary case documentation system built in consultation with personal injury attorneys. Narrative reports are prepared on request and the record is sent as one PDF. See medical documentation for attorneys.