Is there any point in getting an MRI if

there doesn't appear to be enough structural damage to warrant surgery?


Like many others here, I have shitty knees. Right MCL was injured 9 years ago and was rehabbed to good strength, but it still clicks and pops and over the years it's become sore and painful after intense activities. Left knee had similar soreness issues and got worse when I flat landed a big air in the terrain park a year ago. I stopped running 7 years ago because it feels like I am getting stabbed in the back of my knees with a knife.

I'm still able to snowboard, cycle, and backpack - with Ibuprofen and minimal time on the bike trainer to keep the muscles stable - and have just dealt with the pain and inflammation. Every once in a while I put a load on one of my legs that causes a sharp pain and I have to stop and readjust my leg or whatever.


I have good insurance now and see a local knee doc this morning. The xrays are clean - bone spacing is decent and the kneecap is in a good place though closer to the bone than in most people. No signs of structural damage and his range of motion and torque tests aren't enough to produce any sharp pains or anything, just areas of sensitivity. So he thinks any surgery would be overkill.

He says to just go to PT and not worry about MRIs since I am getting through my activities okay - and that getting from "good knees to great knees" can be hard. I don't even think I have "good" knees. I think I have functional knees that suck ass when I'm carrying more than 30 pounds or riding more than 30 miles on my bike or riding hard through firm snow.


Anyways, should I just resign to the fact that my knees are shit and go into PT with no MRI? Or should I really push for the MRI to see if it's going to tell me something else that would be important to know?

It's simple. You have doubts and you think that you need an MRI to "be sure and end all doubts"

do it

But, more that likely your doc will be right. It's the people that then convince the doc that they must have surgery who take it to the weird next level.

WTS, After having 2 surgeries this summer (1 optional and 1 required), rehab often sucks a whole lot more than the prior uncomfortable stage. But if all works out, and it's a BIG if, then surgery can be worth it.

The time frame and description of your symptoms make an MRI reasonable. You can't always reproduce symptoms in the office. If your knees are getting in the way of you doing what you want to do, then I'd push for the MRI. Let us know how it turns out if you have it done.

schralph

it seems we purchased the same knees. i have basically everything you just described. went the mri route and found...

nothing.

basically i strengthen my leg and wait for a wipeout or some other random event to make my knee hurt a whole hell of a lot, then go back to strengthening, when things aren't hurting as much.

Found in years past that a regular routine of yoga helps a lot (but enter a random event, a car crash in this case set me back pretty far)

so really no help here other than to say. keep strengthening and stretching and don't expect any smoking gun from the mri, if you go that route. it is just a photograph and doesn't tell the whole story.