Frustration for 3 years!

[Roger Smith]

Apologies for the long thread, i would very grateful if I could have feedback on the following:

How the injury occurred:

Approx 3 years ago when I twisted badly on my right knee.

From standing position, the knee twisted 90 degrees & I landed on my back.

Treatment stages:

1) First set of treatment then was knee strengthening, ineffective.

2) Pain continued, approx 20 months ago I was referred to consultant who thought it was “cartilage” Thus Knee Arthroscopy was preformed, nothing was found cartilage was in good condition.

3) Since the operation I have continued doing knee strengthen exercises however my symptoms are getting worse. I even took a break from it made no difference.

Problems/Limitations

My knee is in constant pain, I can’t do any “running” or intensive workout. If I do my knee is in huge amount of pain for approx 5-7 days. As well as the occasional click, bending becomes very painful & the knee does not feel as strong. Furthermore I get pain sometimes down the back of the knee, sometimes the middle….. there is no pattern.

Lastly other general/normal problem in normal daily life:

• Bending down is painful.
• The ability to bend my knee has reduced compared to how it was before the operation.
• If I clip my knee on a carpet, shoes or a table leg I get a lot of pain in my knee.
• A feeling of weakness in my e.g. not comfortable putting weight on my knee & it feels like the knee is going to give way sometimes.

Pain

The pain is not centered around one area…. Its appears to radiate everywhere. At the back of the knee, front around the sides. However I do get a lot of pain around & above the “patella”.

I did request an MRI scan however no action was taken. Thus I paid for one privately which pointed out:

3 Tesla MRI Scanner Used Report:

The medial & lateral menisci appear intact with no meniscal tear identified. Mild increased signal is demonstrated within the anterior cruciate ligament with mild tibial instability also suspected within the lateral compartment indicating anterior cruciate ligament laxity. The posterior cruciate liagament, medial & lateral collateral ligaments, the tibiofemoral hyaline articular cartilage & the subarticular marrow signal are intact. A little increased synovial thickening is present within the intercondylar notch around the cruciate ligaments, No joint effusion is detected however.

The patellar tendon is intact & on axial images the patella demonstrates a Wiberg type 2 shape but no other petellofemoral joint abnormality is detected. No evidence is seen of any Baker’s cyst & the extensor mechanism tendon is intact.

In conclusion, the main features of the note are the presence of evidence of a previous cruciate ligament injury with a mild laxity & some synovial thickening within the intercondylar notch.


I will next be seeing a consultant who has worked on many athletes, any feedback would be great!

Many Thanks

[Heidi]

Hi

I think from the results of your surgery and MRI scan that we have to presume that the problems you are suffering have developed due to an ACL injury.

However, If the laxity is only mild then I think that the injury may have caused other problems. My initial thoughts (and these are only subjective) are that due to the longevity of the injury and the fact that it is getting worse, that it is a case of muscle imbalance.

I would look into physical therapy of some sort to help assess and correct any such problems. These may not even be coming from the knee directly, but could involve the hip or lower leg muscles.

See the consultant as planned, see what is suggested and take it from there.

[Roger Smith]

Hi Heidi,

Many thanks for your comments!

I really wanna avoid surgery at all costs to be honest.

If all the exercises fail would i require surgery again?

Regards

Roger

[Heidi]

Surgery may be an option if rehabilitation fails, however it is always your choice.
Procedures for ACL recons are really good now and have an accelerated rehab protocol to get you back on your feet in no time!

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/anterior_cruciate_ligament/acl_surgery.php

[Roger Smith]

Hi,

Just a quick update, so the consultant...... this time i so the best person i could get he operates on many of the professional footballers knees.... & highly regarded. Recommend by numbers people in the NHS...

He thinks i need surgery & did some tests on my knee said the crucite ligament is fine. However when he did another test it cause alot of pain around my knee cap & above it... which is one of my main complaints. Said it would not of been clearly shown on the MRI scan either....

Regards

Roger