Hurting your knee ligaments-Some tips, anyone?

[purojogo]

this happened to me for the first time about 10 years ago when playing soccer in a wet field (in my H.S. days): My right leg sort of slipped and the knee sort of twisted sideways to the left then i sort of made it "come back" to the right as i was falling.../..NOt knowing a thing about such injuries at the time.. went to ER...where after waiting for hours, all they did was give me a pill and a brace(?) -that pad which covers from just above the knee to the ankle and one sorts of ties it up so it is tight- to wear...went to doc, got an X-ray or MRI (can't recall what) and in the end all i ever did was rest the leg with the brace/pad for a couple months -crutches included- and was able to walk just about normal afterwards, without any need for surgery or anything.... all i noticed at the time.... up to now.. is that the knee cap is sort of a bit looser than my left one.... and the area around it is a bit "fatter" than my left one...

Why do i bring this up:I was walking in NY this afternoon... and due to some lady not paying attention -and me trying to pass around her- i fell and again twisted my right knee, which once again went left then right (as if i sort of 'self corrected it' almost immediately)....I do not feel any excrutiating pain on it...but i'm limping a bit and the knee is swollen , exactly as i remember it happened 10 years ago...plus i can't put much weight on it... when using my hands on it to see where it might hurt... it hurts the most (but not much ) on the inside part of the knee (ie the left side of the right knee)... I can sit.. and lower my legs up to a point.... but i'm guessing this being the second time... i can rest it a bit and sort of wait to see what happens, no? icannot force my right leg to so any sudden sideways moves ...but other than that (plus the swelling) i do not feel that bad....Any recommendations? docs aren't easily available until Monday.....

[mrelkane2u]

any instability means you've torn or pulled your ligaments. I'd go get an MRI done on monday to make sure it's not anything serious like torn ACL or meniscus. I would also check the left one too.

Try to call up either of these hospitals and ask them to refer you a doctor that accepts your insurance. I found out when I tore my ACL that not all orthopetists like to deal with knee ligament problems... But the Docs from these two hospitals live for ligament injuries.

either NYU hospital for joint diseases NYU-HJD (http://www.med.nyu.edu/orthosurgery/)

or Hospital for Special Surgery
HSS (http://www.hss.edu/Departments/Specialties/Orthopedic-Surgery/Services/Sports-Medicine-and-Shoulder/)

[purojogo]

any instability means you've torn or pulled your ligaments. I'd go get an MRI done on monday to make sure it's not anything serious like torn ACL or meniscus. I would also check the left one too.
you mean checking my left one to compare, huh? Because my left knee is intact.... Both "incidents" have been on my right knee...

[mrelkane2u]

you mean checking my left one to compare, huh? Because my left knee is intact.... Both "incidents" have been on my right knee...

oops sorry. i thought ur first injury was on the left one. nevermind. yea it's possible that they didn't diagnose it right when u injured it 10 years ago. it happens all the time with ligament injuries.

[nvan_football]

Damn, the title looks much more exciting - like you need some masochistic advice.

[ToonUSA]

Purojogo do you hear a cracking or snapping in the knee when you go down stairs or change direction? That would indicate Meniscus. I had my knee scoped and part of my meniscus taken out. I had played a whole baseball season and all of summer practice for football on it until the pain was just too unbearable. The doctor said that it had been about a year so and he believed I had torn it the previous fall in football. So any catching,cracking or snapping and you have a meniscual problem.

[animatestate]

It could be any specific area or ligament of the knee or the patella tendon. Because of the possibilities, it is best for you to just go to a doctor or even a specialist and geta more qualified answer. I am studying sports medicine and I always think it is best to just go see the doctor.

[Nixon]

Well dunno how it all works in the states but id go see a physiotherapist, when i did my knee in went to see a friend of my mums who is one an she diagnosed me with torn cartelage (Meniscus) there an then, told me id prob need an op, 11 months, 4 Dr Apointments, 4 orthopedic sergeon apointments later they put me in for the key hole now i godda wait three more months for that, woo hoo, if its ligament damage your gonna really struggle to walk on it. From my experience the right side of my right knee is the problem according to the doc but the pain is actually mostly at the front on the left after a bit of exercise long walk etc, not really pain more knuming like the knees tried or same feeling you get with a dead leg. Does get a bit unstable no an then think thats when you trap a bit of the torn cartelage a the knee jerks an slips. If that sounds anything what your having see if you can have another MRI scan on it its possible they didnt think it was surficiently torn to warrent the operation, its unlikely to have got worse but if you point out your discomfort with it they may proceed with it (they dont go in for uneedy op's just godda make them realise you want somethin done about it).

[purojogo]

Purojogo do you hear a cracking or snapping in the knee when you go down stairs or change direction? That would indicate Meniscus. I had my knee scoped and part of my meniscus taken out. I had played a whole baseball season and all of summer practice for football on it until the pain was just too unbearable. The doctor said that it had been about a year so and he believed I had torn it the previous fall in football. So any catching,cracking or snapping and you have a meniscual problem.
yep there was that cracking/snaping you speak of (just like the first time) and that time, they also said meniscus was involved...And was able to overcome that first one (like 10 years ago) with just rest plus that pad which sort of immobilized my legs for two months.......

Right now i'm placing ice on the knee, still quite swollen (on left side and upper right of the knee cap) and is hard (but not too much) to put weight on it.. Still, it's been only 30 hours or so.... I expect the swelling not to go down for at least a couple more days at least....

[ToonUSA]

yep there was that cracking/snaping you speak of (just like the first time) and that time, they also said meniscus was involved...And was able to overcome that first one (like 10 years ago) with just rest ....

Right now i'm placing ice on the knee, still quite swollen and is hard to put weight on it.. Still, it's been only 30 hours or so.... I expect the swelling not to go down for at least a couple more days at least....

I would suggest you go to a doctor. The meniscus can do that amazingly, it can go on while being hurt for a long time until you hurt it again then it is just inbearable.

[purojogo]

I would suggest you go to a doctor. The meniscus can do that amazingly, it can go on while being hurt for a long time until you hurt it again then it is just inbearable.
yeah, thank you.. will do. hate going to docs.... and much more to get an MRI (not the isolation, but the cost of it)... Oh, well....

[ToonUSA]

yeah, thank you.. will do. hate going to docs.... and much more to get an MRI (not the isolation, but the cost of it)... Oh, well....

The cost and the loud noise is enough to make you wanna kill yourself.

[mrelkane2u]

hmmm I didn't even have to pay the $5 co-pay for my MRI scan last fall...

[Paddster]

I have ********ed knees, and after football, I put ice on my knee for 10 minutes every 2 hours.

[Nixon]

I have ********ed knees, and after football, I put ice on my knee for 10 minutes every 2 hours.

your scotish, why arnt you doin the same as me an gettin some of your money back by using the NHS?

[Paddster]

your scotish, why arnt you doin the same as me an gettin some of your money back by using the NHS?

I use the NHS enough with my Crohn's, but after waiting 6 months for an MRI scan on my knee, even though I hate it private, I had to go private and get a scan. I also waited ages for physio treatment but nothing happened and it was as if everyone had forgotten about. Fortunatly I got physio treatment off my club, but I'm still having trouble with them a year and a half later.

[Nixon]

I use the NHS enough with my Crohn's, but after waiting 6 months for an MRI scan on my knee, even though I hate it private, I had to go private and get a scan. I also waited ages for physio treatment but nothing happened and it was as if everyone had forgotten about. Fortunatly I got physio treatment off my club, but I'm still having trouble with them a year and a half later.

Heh i tore my cart in my right leg in sept 04 during trials, took 3 months to send me for the scan, 4 for the scan, and 3 to decide to send me for the operation, and anouther 3 for the op (which im currently waitin the three for). Parents wanted me to go private but refuse to pay for stuff twice, sometimes think the aim of the NHS is to wait for pacients to die then they dont have to treat them. For the time being im just playin on it, painful as ******** at times but what can ya do you godda love the sport.