Oh crap....help me, knee related!

[altachic]

Sooooo...skied yesterday for a while, everything felt fine, took one fall and skied the rest of the day.

So, i go home and about 2 hours later, i can't even get my leg to go straight, all the way straight. I have this deep pain behind my knee. I didn't hear a pop, nothing...so i'm a bit freaked out.

I can walk, i can bend it and it's not really even swollen, at all. Can anyone clue me in on what this could be? I haven't felt this kind of pain after skiing all day and feeling good...oh, and this isn't the knee i had surgery on a while ago, it's my good knee.

Ahhhhhh, frustrated in pain....

[altagirl]

Ugh. No way!

How far from straight? When I tore my meniscus I couldn't straighten my knee like the last probably 30 degrees or more - as in I couldn't walk until the ER doc manipulated it. Even then it wouldn't straighten out right until I had surgery - after which it felt immediately better and I walked out of the hospital better than I felt walking in. Nothing like an ACL.

Hope it's just something strained that will be good to go after a little rest though...

(fingers crossed for you...)

[altachic]

Fack.

I wonder how i could have done it? I didn't feel one thing when i was skiing.

It hurts when i flex my quad muscle and when i try to straighten it...i can go almost all the way, but then the last little bit kills.

I'm gonna give it some time i guess, cycle indoors on trainer and see how it feels when i do my stretches everyday.

Just seems so strange...

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Behind your knee? Could it be as simple as a pulled muscle or just a strain from a hard day of skiing? You didn't mention if it was swollen...is it swollen at all? Is that what is limiting your ROM? Can I ask any more freaking questions?

[Mrs Roo]

AC, have you had a knee injury before? If so was it the same knee?
If it was ligamentous damage you would get a LOT of swelling so it probably isn't. It could be that you have trapped a small meniscal tag i.e. a little torn bit that could have happened with a previous injury. Sometimes they can just work there way into the wrong place over time. Has your knee given way at all?

If it hasn't settled in 2 days I definitely recommend seeing a good PT. They should be able to identify which tissue is causing the problem. If it meniscal they can manipulate it but a big tag may need arthoscopic surgery.

The manipulation involves bending and straightening the knee while rotating the foot around left and right. You could try this yourself with your heel sliding on a sheet or something, using your own leg muscles (if you know what I mean) so you don't force it.

I do think an early assessment can is the way to go. If it settles down quickly it was probably just a strain of soft tissues at the back. Don't let those thigh muscles waste!

[altachic]

It definitely isn't like when i tore my acl and mcl...the swelling isn't there and i can bend it.

I've had this knee scoped and it's been totally fine ever since. Seems crazy cause i wasn't skiing really hard yesterday. I have a feeling its meniscus related and hoping some stretching, bike and rest will help.

I'm going to drop by TOSH to see my old PT to see if he can help me out before i drop money to have it checked out.

When i go to flex my quad muscle, that's when it hurts most...it's in my knee, towards the back.

I wish i was an ortho doc right now.

[L7]

it's my good knee.

That part really sucks. It definitely sounds like it could be mensicus. If you can get though the whole pedal stroke the pedalling will probably be good. Vitamin I (ibuproben) ice and some steady supply of glucosamine certainly can help. A visit to a doc or physio is probably in order as well. Good luck.

[altachic]

tried to ride here a bit ago...no problem, i can get all the way around.

..time for some IB and rest.

[Plakespear]

i can go almost all the way, but then the last little bit kills.

Better fix that befor Dan gets back in town

[Telephil]

Hey Lizzo, I've had that same problem quite a bit this year on my....knee. (Don't know anymore which one is my good one) The Docs I know personally and my actual doctor tell me that pain behind the knee is just swelling and should go away. As far as the straightening thing, mine hurts when I do that as well, could be some cartilage damage, who knows. I don't have damage, well....I just don't have any cartilage left so I guess you could call that damage. Anyway, hopefully it's not a huge issue, doesn't sound like it is.

[Vinman]

AC what you describe sounds more like meniscus, but there is no way I can be sure without actually looking at or talking to you.

Any clicking, catching or locking of your knee? Any pain with squatting deeply?

[altachic]

That's the thing...i can do squats and i can bend it fine...it's just that last little bit of straightening that kills, as well as when i flex my quad muscle.

Sooooo, flexing the quad and the last little bit of getting it straight hurt...there really isn't any swelling, i just can't tell that's how little there is,if any.

I think it's meniscus, but i don't want to go into debt for surgery if i can ski and do my workout fine, which i did fine today. Rode for 45 minutes, no pain.

[altagirl]

Did you get in to see your PT? Hopefully they can tell you if it's worth getting checked out. Are you without insurance or is it just the copays/extra bills that you're worried about?

Hopefully if it's not inhibiting anything other than that last few degrees of extension, it won't bother your skiing or anything if you go without surgery. Hope it continues feeling better!

[creaker]

Might see if it involves the IT Band. I've been having a long bout with it and it locks things up with pain but without swelling it's an overuse thing and not injury related. Good luck.

[Viva]

Per Shoelaces, it does sound like a tweaked hammy. I've had this happen in the past when I ran a lot. Pain right in the back of the knee and when straightening the leg. It's possible that you suffered a slight tear in the muscle during the fall. Good luck.

[Castro's]

When I tore my meniscus I skied the remaining 2 months of the season with little or no pain (after a month of rehab). First days out the next season I experienced pain similar to what you are describing. It really didn't hurt until after the day was finished and I was sitting on the couch. It would hurt the worst when I would get up to get more beer or any time I moved my leg. It was fine when I was skiing, but getting on and off the chair lift or any chair for that matter hurt like hell. Turned out to be a sever bone bruise so I ended up having my knee scoped and the bone bruise taken care of. No pain since. Doc said I suffered the bone bruise when I tore my meniscus the season prior, but it took a while for the bone to decay and become soft. Thats why it didn't hurt the previous year. Get it checked by your knee doc, he'll probably have it pinpointed right away.

[altachic]

yeah, pretty sure it's something along those lines...i skied today, not a problem at all, but it still does hurt when i go to get my leg all the way straight, not nearly as much as 2 days ago though, so i'm glad about that.

Going to see doc in the next couple weeks.

[Telephil]

I just had my dr appt yesterday. I'm having the EXACT same problem as you Liz. He said it's probably not meniscus if you can squat and have it not hurt. My MRI reading was clean there anyway. He said the cartilage that I don't have anymore is probably just tearing a little more and catching. That's my guess for you, but just my guess.

[freshie247]

I'm pullin for ya Liz!