come play 'diagnose the knee injury'! (signs and symptoms)?

Hello,

I'm sorry about your knee. Knee injuries can be serious and there's a lot in the knee that can be hurt and cause pain. What other symptoms do you have if any? Some symptoms to watch out for are the the symptoms of a torn ligament which are a popping noise/feeling when the injury first occurs, pain, swelling that usually occurs within hours of the injury, buckling or giving way sensations in the knee, and excessive motion in the knee. The symptoms of a torn meniscus are pain located on the outer or inner side of the knee, swelling that occurs 2-3 days after the injury but not always, the inability to fully bend or straighten the knee/leg, a buckling or giving out sensation, clicking or popping in the knee, and knee locking. The tear can cause popping or clicking because the torn part can get caught in the joint space.

I highly recommend you see an orthopedist (aka an orthopedic surgeon) (bone and joint doctor). They specialize in this specific area and will provide the most/best help. Skip the family doc or hospital if you can; they won't do much except maybe xray your knee and then send you home when the xray comes back fine. You could have soft tissue damage. Or if they think your knee needs further evaluation, they'll refer you to an orthopedist anyway. So, skip that step if you can, and go to an orthopedist.

Your orthopedist will ask what happened and what symptoms you're experiecing. He then will examine your knee by palpating (feeling) and maybe doing some "hands-on" tests. These tests just involve bending your knee and moving your leg around in certain ways to check for possible injuries. An example of one of these tests is the Lachman test used to evaluate for ACL tears or the McMurray's Test used to evaluate for meniscus tears. You can google or YouTube it if you're interested. You may be sent for an MRI. An MRI will show any damage done to the soft tissues, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The orthopedist will have a good idea of what's causing this and then will send you for the MRI if he thinks it's necessary. You'll then meet back with your orthopedist to go over your results and discuss the best treatment for what's wrong. I'd give your knee a week and if your knee isn't better, see an orthopedist. They'll get you answers and help.

You can also look at this website:

http://orthopedics.about.com/od/kneesymptoms/p/Kne...

It describes knee pain and symptoms and the injuries associated with them. Maybe it'll give you an idea of what's wrong with your knee.

Good luck!