Abstract
BackgroundThe knee is considered the most common injured joint between young sport participants. However, there is lack of proper prevalence estimation in our population.The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of knee injuries among male college students and to observe the demographic data associated with it. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge about these injuries.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed to collect the data among male college students, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out of 688 students who participated and completed the questionnaire, a total of 482 were considered valid and met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).ResultsThe overall prevalence of knee injury was 23.2% (n = 112). Most of them injured during sport activities especially soccer and 68.7% involved in a non-contact mechanism of injury. Among those who went to a hospital mostly were diagnosed as contusion (31.4%) then as meniscus tear, ACL, and collateral ligament injury, respectively. Majority was treated conservatively and only 10.7% needed surgery surprisingly. There was no statistically significant difference between those who are injured and whether they were warmed up and stretched or not (P = 0.619). Low level of knowledge about knee injuries was noticed among the participants 57.7%.ConclusionOur study has highlighted the high prevalence of knee injuries and the need to raise the level of awareness and knowledge about these injuries in our population. Soccer was the most common sport associated with knee injuries; most of these injuries were treated conservatively.
Highlights
The knee is the largest joint in the body and a very complex structure
The prevalence we found still falls within the global prevalence range among adolescent between 10 to 25% based on a systematic review done by Louw et al that included 19 studies, with more recent studies reporting higher rates [24]
We found association between increased body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of knee injuries, this result is in agreement with previous studies demonstrated increased risk of sport injuries in general and knee injuries with increased Body mass index (BMI), and this can be attributed to the increased mechanical load on knee joints while doing sports or other physical activity [30,31,32]
Summary
The knee is the largest joint in the body and a very complex structure. The most commonly injured joint by young sports participants [1, 2]. The vast majority of knee injuries can be treated conservatively with rest, ice, immobilization, and physiotherapy. Knee injuries could be either acute or chronic. Acute knee injuries by most definitions are defined as “being diagnosed within the first 30 to 42 days of the injury or onset of symptoms.”. The knee is considered the most common injured joint between young sport participants. There is lack of proper prevalence estimation in our population. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of knee injuries among male college students and to observe the demographic data associated with it. Our secondary objective was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge about these injuries
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
