Bruised knee bones???

While playing volleyball I lunged slightly to reach the ball. In motion, It felt like my leg broke at my knee I heard cracking/tearing then finally POP! It was like what a tree sounds like when it's been cut as the bark cracks and pops. I fell to the ground, knew I was in trouble. A man about 8 ft away heard the noises and as I was falling heard him say "I heard that, thats not good, she's really hurt". So, I went to the ER b/c it hurt like heck. It didn't swell much at first but within hours and definitely the next morning it was pretty big. I went to the ortho and they said definitely MCL, maybe but not sure ACL. I switched docs b/c my grandpa swore by his doc. I got a MRI done and they said I have really bad bruising on my femoral condyles (lateral and medial), also a bruise on the posterolateral tibial plateau. Also mild amount of fluid in joint space.
I hurt myself 4 weeks ago. I am getting better. I still can't straighten my leg all the way, when I try, it gets all wobbly (like Bambi's legs), I can't bend it all the way without pain (which goes right in the middle of my knee). My knee is giving way when I walk it feels like it buckles forward or sometimes like it's 'flinging' backwards. When standing it'll pop a little which hurts but only for a few seconds. Its still slightly swollen but nothing compared to what it was. I limp b/c I can't straighten it still.

Other than that docs said ligaments are fine, meniscus is fine.

I just feel confused. What was all the popping/cracking I heard at injury? That others heard?! Why did my bones bruise if ligaments are fine? They swore it was MCL yet thats fine. I do play volleyball and want to return but I dont know if I feel comfortable with what I was told. "should be better in 8-12 weeks".

am I beating a dead horse? Should I just give up? I was warned the MRI isn't a say all, but I didn't think it would be bruised knee bones. How do your knee bones get bruised with no ligament damage? I wasn't struck on the knee...I didn't fall on my knee. I had my foot on the ground I was starting to lunge and it all just went downhill from there.

What do I do? :frown:

To me your injury and desciption of instability sounds more like a ligament injury. If you were one of my athletes you would be getting another opinion.

MRI although very good is not 100% accurate.

Go for another opinion.

Thanks for your response...

I just dont know if I am beating a dead horse and just let it go or what.

Is there a logical way to have bruising like that and no actual ligament injury?

when there is extensive bruising on the bone visible on MRI, it usually goes along with some other kind of injury.

My point was that you feel like your knee is not stable and you felt/heard a pop at the time of injury, extensive swelling within 24 hrs all of which indicate a significant injury. Also if you aren't happy with what you have heard from your doc so far then definitly seek out another opinion.

I guess it could be possible with you "only" have a bone bruise, but in my experience you don't get a bone bruise without having some kind of trauma inside the knee.

Again, thanks for your help.

Is there any docs you know of outside of NYC that are good???:biggrin:

I'll gladly defer to Mr. Vin for any actual diagnoses (although, having done both ACLs myself, yours definitely sounds in that vein), but I would absolutely get another opinion. It's an admittedly broad generalization, but there's a good chance that the doc that your grandpa likes is dealing mostly with patients of his age and activity level. Most of their patients then just want to be pain free, be able to play w/ the grandkids, etc. A lot different treatment than someone in their 20s that wants to return to full-on sports.

Thanks BIG E.

I called my doc and asked about the giving out and popping my knee hsa been doing. He said do 4 more weeks on strengthening....(physical therapy). He then said in 4 weeks still pain/popping/giving out that the MRI's aren't always right, etc.

I figured I will continue with strengthening for 2 more weeks, then get a 2nd opinion.

I just needed to hear from someone that its not just in my head! That it could still be more than what the MRI said!


Thanks to all!

Get a second opinion on the MRI; have another radiologist read it.
Get the official typed report too.

don´t need to be lig damage bones can take damage from stress without hitting something

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sweetpea23

While playing volleyball I lunged slightly to reach the ball. In motion, It felt like my leg broke at my knee I heard cracking/tearing then finally POP! It was like what a tree sounds like when it's been cut as the bark cracks and pops. I fell to the ground, knew I was in trouble. A man about 8 ft away heard the noises and as I was falling heard him say "I heard that, thats not good, she's really hurt". So, I went to the ER b/c it hurt like heck. It didn't swell much at first but within hours and definitely the next morning it was pretty big. I went to the ortho and they said definitely MCL, maybe but not sure ACL. I switched docs b/c my grandpa swore by his doc. I got a MRI done and they said I have really bad bruising on my femoral condyles (lateral and medial), also a bruise on the posterolateral tibial plateau. Also mild amount of fluid in joint space.
I hurt myself 4 weeks ago. I am getting better. I still can't straighten my leg all the way, when I try, it gets all wobbly (like Bambi's legs), I can't bend it all the way without pain (which goes right in the middle of my knee). My knee is giving way when I walk it feels like it buckles forward or sometimes like it's 'flinging' backwards. When standing it'll pop a little which hurts but only for a few seconds. Its still slightly swollen but nothing compared to what it was. I limp b/c I can't straighten it still.

Other than that docs said ligaments are fine, meniscus is fine.

I just feel confused. What was all the popping/cracking I heard at injury? That others heard?! Why did my bones bruise if ligaments are fine? They swore it was MCL yet thats fine. I do play volleyball and want to return but I dont know if I feel comfortable with what I was told. "should be better in 8-12 weeks".

am I beating a dead horse? Should I just give up? I was warned the MRI isn't a say all, but I didn't think it would be bruised knee bones. How do your knee bones get bruised with no ligament damage? I wasn't struck on the knee...I didn't fall on my knee. I had my foot on the ground I was starting to lunge and it all just went downhill from there.

What do I do? :frown:

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Hi,

you should have some sessions of acupuncture- that works if it is not really bad injured.