Can You Walk With A Torn Ligament In Your Knee?
Yes, you can walk on your knee in most mild to moderate knee ligament injury cases. But, it is also essential to know when it is detrimental for you to be weight-bearing or walking on your injury.
Ligaments are band-like structures that run from one bone to another. They provide support to the body by limiting excessive movement at its joints, ultimately improving the area’s stability.
Importantly, ligaments are not the only structures that serve as a source of stability for the body. The shape of a joint, its capsule, cartilage, and surrounding muscles and tendons can also contribute to this.
Whilst this means that it is possible to walk despite an injury to a ligament of the knee, it does not mean that the role of the ligaments is made redundant by the support from the other body parts. You may still experience pain, swelling, instability of the knee and decreased confidence with movement or weight-bearing.
Your physiotherapist or doctor should professionally assess each knee ligament injury. They will determine which ligaments are damaged, their severity, and whether we need to brace your knee, limit motion, keep you non-weight-bearing for a period or even require surgery to repair. Every knee ligament injury is different, so they need individualised management strategies.
If you suspect that you have suffered a ligament injury to your knee, please have your physiotherapist or doctor professionally assess it to tailor your recovery appropriately!
