# I just injured my knee... why?



## Runway (Aug 27, 2013)

Hi everyone,

Greetings from Australia. I unfortunately just did my knee while hitting what was a very easy run down Mt Buller. Basically, I misjudged a rocky patch where my legs went one way but my body went the other - until I heard a 'pop' in my left knee. The pain hasn't been too intense (I'm off to the Doctor tomorrow) but it has left me wondering how I did it in the first place.

Forgive my ignorance here, but I thought when strapped into a snowboard that leg breaks and knee injuries were far less common given both feet a secured to the board and are facing a similar direction. I thought this was one of the key differences to skiing where legs and skis go off in alternate directions hence why skiers are more prone to knee injuries.

I've got a pair of entry level Burton Moto boots and I had considered for a while to replace them with something that was a little stiffer. As I was going down the mountain I could feel a lot of give in the boots and could feel my heel and toes move around. I understood that snowboard boots are supposed to be tight around the leg/ foot so that boarders can improve their sensitivity between the board and the snow. Is that true???

Even though it was totally my fault for doing my knee, I just can't helping thinking that my boots are partly to blame - and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar experience - particularly with this kind of injury.

Grateful for advice.

Runway.


----------



## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

Not the boots, you did something wrong and it sucks your knee is done. When you get back on your board next season get a lesson. Best of luck with the rehab mate.


----------



## Blaze182 (Sep 7, 2009)

If you have a problem with your boots, I highly recommend you check Nike, their product is seriously underrated. 

Sorry, but I think your current boots had nothing to do with getting injured - if you get injured on mountain, its either your fault, or someone else's. Sorry man, but at least nobody else was hurt, the only thing worse than doing it to yourself is including another, you never know how thats going to wind up  

Fingers crossed you don't take too long to recover! Watch out for Buller too, when it gets windy, the Summit and main runs get stupid icy.


----------



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Your boots don't sound like they helped. What you did is rare but it does happen. Sucks. Best of luck to you. 

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## td.1000 (Mar 26, 2014)

Runway said:


> I understood that snowboard boots are supposed to be tight around the leg/ foot so that boarders can improve their sensitivity between the board and the snow. Is that true???


yep. it's all about how quickly the board reacts to your movements. if your feet move around, there will always be a split second delay, which is huge when you're trying to do mini adjustments. it's kind of like driving a car on the highway with a loose-y steering wheel. that being said I'm not sure it would've helped with your injury. these things happen. just make sure your stance (width, angles) is comfortable, to avoid putting extra stress on your knees.


----------



## kosmoz (Dec 27, 2013)

Body went one direction, legs - other. Maybe looser boots even helped you to get away with what you have now, because if you had stiff boots, your knee would have taken the whole rotation, which it didn't this time, because some angle were taken away by softer boots.

You could blame you boots unless you are sure, that with stiffer boots you could avoid the crash, but you can't do that.


----------



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

You probably just sprained it. If your knee isn't in bad pain and feels stable, then you didn't tear anything.

When you tear something, it feels like getting sliced with a red hot knife.


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

linvillegorge said:


> You probably just sprained it. If your knee isn't in bad pain and feels stable, then you didn't tear anything.
> 
> When you tear something, it feels like getting sliced with a red hot knife.


Along with no mention of swelling. Which may just be an oversight when posting as anything serious at all would swell like a balloon.


----------



## larrytbull (Oct 30, 2013)

f00bar said:


> Along with no mention of swelling. Which may just be an oversight when posting as anything serious at all would swell like a balloon.


until I heard a 'pop' in my left knee. 
I hear that snap,crackle pop in my knee daily...


+1 No swelling, no pain , you hopefully just sprained. 


trust me... about to get my knee done for third time..... you Will Know definitively when you really Hurt the knee... Swelling, Sharp pain when there is pressure... 

a little heat then cold , followed by some advil; will do wonders for a sprain


----------



## backstop13 (Jun 27, 2012)

The wife was learning on some beginner runs and started to get sketchy when she decided to bail…she sort of fell forward onto her knees while the board was on edge and it sort of spun her around when her knees hit the snow. She had a little pop sound, and tried to tough it out for a few days before finally going to the doc to get an x-ray. Long story short, she had a tibia plateau fracture. No cast was needed, but she was in a decent amount of pain for 3-4 weeks. I doubt your situation is this bad, as she was in quite a bit of pain.

Hopefully you just sprained it.


----------



## Runway (Aug 27, 2013)

Many thanks to everyone who replied. Much appreciated.

I feel I'm still a beginner to snowboarding (I've only done three seasons) and as someone here suggested I've learned that sensitivity between board, feet and body is everything. The boots issue has been playing on my mind for some time and I had been looking into a pair of Imperials to replace my current boots given they're a lot stiffer.

My knee is still very swollen and still sore two days later. I can walk on it though and I can extend it with no problems. Off to the Doctors in a few hours. I'm only frustrated that this last weekend was the first time we had proper snowboarding conditions on Mt Buller and already it looks like my season is over!


----------



## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Any sport where you are travelling so fast can damage your knees. Sure we are strapped in while we snowboard, but the hips, legs, feet (even with stiffer boots) still have enough freedom to get knees into trouble. 

But it is probably less likely than for skiiers.

Good luck with the doctors appointment, hope it is just a sprain so you can still shred this season


----------



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Definitely far less likely on a snowboard. The only time I've ever hurt my knee on a snowboard was when I was gliding on a splitboard and the edge got caught up as I was coming back into the skin track and twisted the hell out of my knee. So, technically speaking, I was really more half ass skiing than snowboarding. That was a 2nd degree MCL tear.


----------

