There are four ligaments in the knee, and the more common types of knee and leg injuries include strains, sprains, and fractures. Knee injuries can affect the ligaments, tendons and the sacs (also called the bursa) that surround the knee, as well as the bones, cartilage, and ligaments that form the joint. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee, and the lateral collateral ligament is on the outside. The other ligaments are the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Another part of the knee is the meniscus.
Some knee pain occurs gradually as the result of repetitive movements. Tears of the ACL ligaments can be particularly painful, and cause immediate pain and immediate swelling. Tendon injuries, or tendonitis, often result from irritation or inflammation and may cause pain and swelling. If a tendon rips or ruptures, a person will have great difficulty extending or straightening the knee.
Other types of knee pain are caused by accidents or injury and can occur when a worker either bangs the knee or slips and falls. Meniscus injuries often involve torn cartilage. Bursitis is an inflammation in one of the sacs of fluid that cushion the outside of the knee joint. In many cases, the knee may be bruised, but gets gradually worse over time until a worker can no longer cope with the pain and discomfort.
There are many ways to treat knee injuries, including arthroscopic surgery, physical therapy, cortisone shots and, in very serious cases, knee replacements. Regardless of the cause, workers with knee and leg injuries are entitled to workers' compensation benefits, even if the injuries are the result of long-term work-related wear and tear, or continuously working on your knees and legs.
If you have suffered a work-related knee or leg injury, you need an attorney who is familiar with these conditions and has represented numerous workers who have suffered from them.
Knee Injuries
One of the more fragile joints in the body is the knee and, not surprisingly, a significant number of Georgia's worker's compensation cases involving knee injuries are filed every year. Our lawyers are experienced in handle a wide variety of workplace knee injuries including those involving torn meniscus (i.e. cartilage), tibia, fibula or femur fractures in the area of the knee compartment (e.g. tibial plateau), and ligament tears, torn ACL, MCL, LCL, and PCL. Irrespective of the type or cause of your work-related knee injury, the worker's compensation attorney and legal team at our Atlanta law office, Maniscalco Law, P.C., possess the skills to make sure that your interests are protected. A compensation lawyer from our office is available to answer your questions and address your concerns. Initial consultations with our firm are without charge.
We believe it is important for workers compensation claimants to have an understanding of the anatomy of the knee in order to properly deal with issues associated with their knee injury treatment and Georgia compensation case. The knee joint is formed where the femur (thigh bone) and the patella (shin bone) meet in the leg. The surface of each bone is coated with a form of cartilage termed condyle where they meet at the knee joint. The cushion material which is located between the condyle surface of the femur and patella is the meniscus; this is also a form of cartilage in the knee. The ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL ligament hold the joint together. When a worker sustains trauma to his knee, condyle or meniscus cartilage can be damaged or a ligament can get torn. These injuries almost always require surgical repair of the knee.
If you sustained a torn meniscus, cartilage, or ligament as a result of a workplace accident, please do not hesitate to contact a Worker's Compensation lawyer at our firm. One of our worker's compensation lawyers would be happy to meet with you to discuss your compensation claim. We handle Georgia worker's compensation cases on a contingent fee basis, in other words, there is no fee charged unless a recovery is made on your behalf. An attorney is available immediately to speak to you and all of our worker's compensation attorneys are well versed in knee injuries.