Can MS affect the knees?

Tightness or stiffness of the muscles, called spasticity, is caused directly by MS. Spasticity, will alter walking and cause pulling on the joints. This can result in pain typically in the ankles, knees, hips and back.

What causes knee hyperextension in gait?

After a knee injury or muscle atrophy of any cause, the patient may demonstrate a hyperextension gait pattern due to muscle weakness. Other patients with symptomatic patellofemoral arthrosis develop a hyperextension gait pattern to avoid knee flexion that loads the patellofemoral joint and causes anterior knee pain.

How does a person with MS Walk?

Spasticity: Muscle tightness or spasticity can interfere with gait. Balance: Balance problems typically result in a swaying and “drunken” type of gait known as ataxia. Sensory deficit: Some people with MS have such severe numbness in their feet that they cannot feel the floor or know where their feet are.

What muscles are weak in knee hyperextension?

Hyperextension is the forward movement of the knee joint caused by weakness of the quadriceps muscle which functions to actively extend the knee and flex the hip, or injury to the anterior cruciate ligament which passively translates the shin bone or “tibia” of the lower leg forward.

Can MS cause weak legs?

Feeling weakness in one or both of your legs is called monoparesis or paraparesis and can be a direct result of MS. You can also feel weakness in your arms and other areas of your body, but to feel it in your legs often occurs more frequently.

What is knee Hyperflexion?

Hyperflexion of the knee puts direct shear and compressive force on the posterior tibia. This can result in ligament injuries combined with avulsion fractures of both posterior meniscal attachments. Arthroscopic treatment is a practicable technique for this type of injury.

What can happen if you hyperextend your knee?

During hyperextension, the knee joint bends the wrong way, which often results in swelling, pain and tissue damage. In severe cases, ligaments such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), or popliteal ligament (the ligament along the back of the knee) may be sprained or ruptured.

What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the knees?

Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms in the Knees 1 Abnormal Reflexes. Damaged motor neurons can result in several different symptoms. 2 Extensor Spasticity. Another result of the damage to the motor neurons is increased spasticity of muscles, meaning that muscles tend to spontaneously contract. 3 Flexor Spasticity 4 Sores.

What happens to your muscles when you have multiple sclerosis?

When these muscles contract and do not release, the knees are forced to straighten and remain locked in that position, explains the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 2 3. Another result of the damage to the motor neurons is increased spasticity of muscles, meaning that muscles tend to spontaneously contract.

How is the knee jerk test used to diagnose multiple sclerosis?

. This is often diagnosed with the knee-jerk test, in which doctors test tendon reflexes by gently tapping the knee with a soft hammer. In patients with multiple sclerosis, this test is often results in a stronger jerk of the knee than normal 3 ⭐ .

What causes excessive flexion of knee and ankle?

Weakness in the muscles controlling the knee and ankle can result in either excessive knee flexion or hyperextension. This can occur with both lower motor neuron conditions, such as a femoral neuropathy, and upper motor neuron processes, such as an ischemic stroke.