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This book describes Popliteal Muscle Tear, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic

Last month I had a 50 year old man who came to consult me because of pain the right knee after he fell while climbing a stairway.

He had pain in his right knee together with swelling and a bruise just below the knee.

He had taken pain killers and placed ice on the right knee without improvement.

On examination he was found to be tender behind the right knee and there was limitation of right knee movement forward and flexing.

There was swelling of the knee.

The left knee was normal.

I decided to send him for an X-ray of the right knee which showed no evidence of fracture or dislocation of the bones in the knee joint.

A MRI was done and this showed the presence of a partial popliteal muscle tear.

The bones of the joint and other cartilages were normal.

He was sent to orthopedic surgeon for treatment.

Because the popliteal muscle tear was mild, he was told to rest his knee and to wear a brace to protect his knee.

Physiotherapy was provided in the form of knee muscle strengthening exercises.

He was also taught the proper method to climb up and down the stairs,

A tear in the popliteal tendon, also known as the popliteus tendon, can cause pain, instability, and difficulty with movements involving the knee joint.

The popliteus is a small muscle present at the posterior area of the knee joint almost traversing horizontally the back of the joint.

This small muscle is utilized for internal rotation of the tibia and for unlocking the knee joint when a person bends the knee from an entirely straight position.

Dynamic functions:

During early flexion of the knee, the popliteus muscle maintains the internal rotation of the tibia on the femur (unlocking of knee joint) and stops forward dislocation of the femur on the tibia.

Static functions

The popliteus muscle is an essential static stabilizer of the posterolateral corner of the knee and functions as a secondary restraint to posterior displacement of the tibia in PCL deficient knees.

Injury to the popliteus muscle is normally an excessive injury leading to higher tone or tightness in the muscle.

Poor biomechanics, faulty training and tense hamstrings are the frequent causes.

A fall or a tackle during sport activities where the knee is excessively straightened causes a tear of the popliteus muscle.

A sudden forceful impact or a direct blow to the back of the knee can lead to a popliteal tendon tear.

Repetitive activities or excessive stress on the tendon, such as in athletes involved in sports that require running, jumping, or pivoting, can result in a tear.

Chronic degeneration of the tendon due to aging, repetitive stress can weaken the tendon and increase the risk of tearing.

Frequent symptoms of a popliteus muscle tear may be:
Pain behind the knee
Swelling and tenderness
Weakness or instability in the affected knee joint

MRI can help in grading the injury and will make known related injuries such as lateral collateral ligament injury, anterior or posterior cruciate ligament injury and meniscal tears.

Minor tears may heal on their own with conservative treatment such as RICE therapy.

Physical therapy exercises to strengthen the knee and surrounding muscles aid in the recovery process.

More severe tears or complete ruptures may require surgical intervention.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Popliteal Muscle Tear
Chapter 2 Cause
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Knee Exercises
Chapter 8 Popliteal (Baker) Cyst
Epilogue

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A Simple Guide to Popliteal Muscle Tear, Diagnosis, Treatment and Related Conditions

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