Patella pain after injury

[Polly]

Just over 2 weeks ago, I fell pretty badly on my knee. Bit hard to explain, but you know that thing when you stand back to back with someone, link arms, one person bends over and the other flips over their head and lands on the other side on their feet? Well, I landed very hard on my knee (on concrete)!

The following couple of days, there was only minor bruising and swelling, but I could barely bend the knee – very painful and couldn’t put any weight on it. Over 2 weeks I experienced some instability, pins and needles in foot, couldn't raise leg off ground when lying down – now it is MUCH better, but I am still unable to fully bend the knee as it is too painful (stairs are painful – walking down worse than going up).

The pain (initially right in the middle of my knee) is now coming solely from my kneecap. There is a bit of swelling/bump at the top, left of the kneecap (if you are facing me). When I bend the knee or pull the skin taught, I can feel a raised ‘ridge’ in the middle of my patella about an inch long – it feels hard and the doctor said it could be bone but definitely not a fracture (as only minor swelling) and my knee most likely had this ‘ridge’ before my injury. However, all the pain is concentrated in this area and my other knee does not have this. Doc said I just have soft tissue damage and the raised bit is probably an inflamed tendon. Is there a tendon that joins at the middle of the patella? I thought tendons joined at the top and bottom? Ibuprofen is not doing anything for my knee anymore - I was wondering whether anyone had any ideas what was wrong with my knee (bursitis, maybe?) and any advice for making it better – Doc said to come back in 6 weeks if it still hurts!

[Heidi]

Hi
The patella actually sits inside a tendon - it is a sesamoid bone. There are also, as you thought, ligaments which attach to the patella, but geberally i think to the sides/edges, not in the middle.

I think bursitis is unliely as the bump wouldn't be hard. It would feel like a pouch of swelling.
I would go and get a second opinion. No offence to many G.P's but they don't specialise in musculoskeletal injuries. SO if you are not sure about their 'diagnosis' then it is always worth getting someone more specialised to have a look.