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Has dashboard knee left you feeling bent?

On Behalf of | Aug 3, 2017 | Blog |

Serious car accidents can often result in considerable damage to your vehicle. Though many larger vehicles may offer substantial protection from such events, severe impacts could result in your suffering injuries. These injuries could range in severity, but in many cases, a crash could cause you to need medical treatment, rehabilitation or other attention in order to recover.

Any injuries to your extremities could cause you to experience considerable hindrances in your everyday life. If you suffer an injury to your leg, you may even lose the ability to walk or have your ability considerably impaired for a certain amount of time. In such cases, you may find that you cannot perform work duties or manage daily tasks without assistance.

Dashboard knee

One type of injury that could easily occur as a result of a car accident is dashboard knee. This injury has a self-explanatory name, as it can happen when your knee comes in contact with the dashboard of your vehicle during a crash. The impact may cause your shinbone to push backward in an unnatural position, which could cause a rupture or tear to your posterior cruciate ligament.

Your PCL typically works to prevent this backward motion, but when an impact proves too great, the PCL can experience serious damage. Though known as dashboard knee, this type of injury could also occur any time your knee makes hard contact with an immovable object.

Signs of dashboard knee

The possibility also exists that your patella, or kneecap, could suffer damage as a result. In such an instance, you may experience immediate swelling around the joint. Additionally, a torn or ruptured PCL may cause significant pain and impair your ability to walk. If a noticeable divot, dent or sag exists when holding your leg at a 90-degree angle, that sign may indicate dashboard knee.

Treatment

In cases of severe ruptures or tears, you may need to go through surgery in order to correct the issue. This type of procedure obviously has a serious nature and could have significant effects of its own. However, rehabilitation often works to gradually allow the damage to heal without surgery. Of course, needing this type of treatment can still have serious impacts on your life as you take the time to properly recover.

Due to the serious outcomes dashboard knee can have, you may wish to consider seeking compensation from the driver considered at fault for the car accident that resulted in your injury.