Fat man climbs a mountain to lose weight and his knee meniscus breaks

A middle-aged man in Taichung found that his weight exceeded 100 kg after the Chinese New Year, so he decided to go hiking to lose weight. Unexpectedly, due to his overweight and lack of leg muscle training, the meniscus in his knee was torn when he was going downhill. As a result, he failed to lose weight through exercise, and his entire knee was swollen and painful, making it difficult for him to walk.

Dr. Zhuo Shikai (pictured) pointed out that the patient's meniscus in the knee tore when he was climbing downhill, causing sports injuries. (Photo provided by Dr. Mitsuda

Zhuo Shikai, an orthopedic surgeon at Guangtian Hospital, said that this middle-aged man named Li, who weighed about 95 kilograms and was obese, had a big appetite during the Chinese New Year and ate more than usual at every meal. As a result, when he stood on the scale, he was shocked to find that his weight had exceeded 100 kilograms. Mr. Li was determined to climb mountains to lose weight, so he made an appointment with his family to go hiking on the sixth day of the Chinese New Year.

Climbing a mountain with a body weight of over 100 can cause sports injuries

On the uphill section, although Mr. Li was out of breath, he had no problem walking slowly. Unexpectedly, when he was stepping on the stairs on the downhill section, he suddenly heard a "pop" sound from his knee, and then immediately felt severe pain in his knee. He could only reluctantly go down the mountain with the help of his relatives and friends. After coming down the mountain, Li first went to a nearby clinic for medical treatment, where he was only diagnosed with knee inflammation and was prescribed anti-inflammatory and analgesic medication. But after a few days, the symptoms did not improve, so he went to the orthopedic department of Guangtian Hospital for a detailed examination.

After examination, the medical team found that Mr. Li's meniscus ruptured due to being overweight, lack of muscle strength training, and improper knee posture. If not properly treated, walking function will be greatly affected and may even lead to accelerated degeneration of the knee joint. Dr. Zhuo Shikai immediately performed an arthroscopic minimally invasive surgery on Mr. Li to repair the damaged meniscus. After the surgery, the swelling and pain in the knee were relieved and he was discharged from the hospital smoothly.

Dr. Zhuo Shikai emphasized that the meniscus is located in the middle of the knee joint and functions like a shock absorber for the human body. As people age, it is inevitable that tissues will wear out and lose elasticity. Therefore, meniscus ruptures mostly occur in the elderly, while young patients are mostly caused by high-tension external forces or sports injuries. In addition, people who are overweight, lack exercise, or have weak quadriceps muscles are more likely to have meniscus damage or it will occur earlier.

For obese people, squat training can protect knee wear and tear and increase muscle endurance.

Be careful with knee joint exercises when exercising for obesity

Mr. Li was injured when his knees were under great pressure when going downhill or stairs because he was overweight and lacked exercise. Although it is inevitable that the knees will degenerate with age, you can still strengthen them through regular strength training of the quadriceps (the muscles in the front of the thigh), such as doing squats regularly. Squats can not only train the quadriceps, but also the core muscles.

In addition, you should also manage your weight on a regular basis. When choosing sports, overweight people should avoid those that put a lot of pressure on the knees. They should also be more careful when going downhill or stairs. This is the best way to prevent knee injuries.

Squat training protects knees from wear and tear

1. Raise your hands horizontally, open your feet to shoulder width, and sit with your hips down.

2. Keep your center of gravity on your heels, your knees no longer than your toes, and your back straight.

3. Squat 10 to 20 times as 1 unit, rest for 30 to 60 seconds in between, and train 3 units each time.