Question

What happens if a popliteus strain goes untreated?

Answer 1

If a popliteus strain goes untreated it can result in stiffness, chronic knee pain and long term instability, which is a result of the muscle being crucial for stabilizing your knee joint.

Without proper management and treatment of a popliteus strain, it can result in a prolonged inability to play sports, especially running or walking downhill and potential failure of ACL or PCL reconstructions as a result of persistent rotational instability.

Early treatment of a popliteus strain is important, otherwise an injury that may have only required a few weeks of care could become a long term, debilitating condition.

And the popliteus acts as a secondary stabilizer for the cruciate ligaments and leaving it damaged can cause excessive pressure on the ACL/PCL reconstructions and result in graft failure.

A persistent tightness in the back of your knee which limits knee extension or straightening can also occur if the popliteus strain goes untreated.

A popliteus strain feels like tightness or deep discomfort behind your knee and can sometimes also be accompanied by instability, swelling and difficulty in fully straightening of your leg.

When you have a popliteus strain it often causes a sharp or aching pain at the back and outer side of your knee and often gets worse when you walk downhill, climb stairs or run.

The pain with a popliteus strain is concentrated in the back of your knee and most particularly on the outer side or posterolateral corner.

A strained popliteus muscle takes between 3 weeks to 16 weeks to heal.

Many people with a strained popliteus muscle notice significant improvements in symptoms within 10 days to 14 days, but full recovery and a safe return to unrestricted physical activity often requires a longer period of rehabilitation.

Recovery timeframes for a strained popliteus muscle also vary based on the injury severity and athletes might take an average of around 10 weeks to return to their sports activities after a strained popliteus muscle.

The popliteus tendon can also be repaired surgically, which often involves the reattachment to the femur using suture anchors, screws or staples.

Although surgery for popliteus repair is often reserved for severe cases of popliteus problems like avulsion fractures or any injuries that are associated with other ligament damage.

Most popliteus injuries that are isolated are managed successfully through conservative, non surgical treatments like rest, the use of anti-inflammatory medication as well as physical therapy and targeted strengthening exercises.

Recovery from injured popliteus tendons and popliteus tendon surgery is often 3 to 16 weeks for full recovery depending on your overall health and the severity of the injury.

Surgery is often performed for mainly avulsed osteochondral fragments from the femoral attachment or when the popliteus injury is also a part of a complex multi-ligament knee injury.

To fix the popliteus surgically, surgeons may use an open or arthroscopic approach to reattach the popliteus tendon or perform a reconstruction if the tissue quality is insufficient.

Conservative management and treatment for popliteus injuries include rest and activity modification, physiotherapy and adjunctive therapies.

Adjunctive therapies for popliteus issues and popliteus injuries include ice, NSAID medications, and sometimes the use of shockwave therapy, which can be used to manage the pain and stimulate healing.

Physiotherapy for fixing issues with the popliteus tendon and popliteus injuries is also essential for restoring function.

Physiotherapy involves strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, stretching and specific exercises like tibial rotation and eccentric loading.

Rest and activity modification involves avoiding high impact activities which aggravate your knee.

If you experience any mechanical symptoms in your knee or pain, you should consult with an orthopedic specialist to determine if the injury requires any intervention or if rehabilitation is sufficient.