Please help me figure this out

[sokerstar10]

I was in a soccer game on January 16, and I was getting ready to clear the ball out of the box when a girl from the other team kicked my left leg out laterally and I fell with all my weight on the inside of my left knee right below the patella. A hematoma formed immediately and within 10 minutes I started to see bruising. I had bruising all along the medial side of my knee, behind the knee, and some halfway down my shin bone. It was hard to walk, but I iced it, compressed it, and elevated it almost immediately afterwards. I figured I just bruised it really good. I continued to play seeing that I didn't have any instability.

Its over a month later, and the swelling has gone down and the bruising dissappeared, however I still have fluid in the area that I fell on as well as some above the patella. When I hit that area, it feels like a knife is going through my knee, sometimes I can't even sleep with my sheets on at night becuase it contacts that area. Also I have some popping within the knee joint that is fairly painful, it doesn't happen all the time. Also once in a while when I pivot, I feel a grinding sensation followed by a sharp pain in my knee. I have a dull, achy feeling constantly on the medial area of my knee where the two bones meet.

Sometimes when I start to run, I feel multiple tiny pops and I feel my knee burning right where the fluid collection is, after the burning the pops disappear and I am fine to run.

I also have problems squatting down, if I do it I cannot stay that way for very long and as I straighten it out I feel a pop in the joint.

Please help

[Heidi]

Hi
Have you seen anyone about this? I really would recommend getting some professional treatment, even if it is only your Doctor, but ideally a physical therapist etc.
It could be any number of problems causing your pain, such as cartilage damage, a loose 'body' (usually a fragment of cartilage) within the joint, medial ligament injury.....etc etc.
You need to work on reducing all swelling and fluid. anti-inflammatories (check with your Doctor), compression, elevation, mobility exercises will all help.
Have you got a full range of motion in the knee? i.e. can you bend and straighten it fully?

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/knee_injuries.htm