Knee Injuries

[Bobster]

Hello, i've been meaning to post here as i have done a little bit of damage to my knee recently playing footy.

I'm just really after some other peoples experiences of knee injuries so i know what to expect with regards to recovery times etc.

Basically about 2 month ago i was playing 5-a side and got tackled as i was stretching for the ball and it absolutly killed my knee.

I managed to play on in goal but i could feel there was something not right with my knee. It felt very unstable and sort of loose.

I went to the docs and he said it was just a bit of ligament damage. It didn't swell up much or anything like that it was just sore if i twisted it or bent it too much.

About two month later i played again as i thought it was ok. I had been going to the gym and had been on the treadmills and bikes etc and all seemed well.

So, i tried playing footy again, big mistake!

About 10 minutes into the game i was just running and it just gave way. This time it was more painfull than the last. It wrecked!!

That night it was very painfull and the next day i could hardly bend it. There was lots of swelling above my knee cap and bruising down the right hand side (right leg) and behind my knee in the crease of the knee.

Anyway i went to hospital and got an xray etc. There is a chipped bone but thats not a worry to them apparently.

They don't really know what damage has been caused until i get an MRI scan.

I've now got a brace on my leg for the ligament damage i presume, i've had to keep my leg strait for two weeks and on monday just gone they adjusted the brace so i could bend it upto 90 degrees.

I still however don't really know what the issue is as i am waiting on an MRI scan (no private health care, so i am waiting on the NHS, 6 week wait apparently). At the moment it doesn't really hurt much apart from if there is weight on it when bent. Going up the stairs for instance give me a little pain around my knee cap.

Anyone had anything similar or have any idea of what i might have done?

It's getting me down a bit to be honest, i love playing footy

 

[Bobster]

I've had an MRI scan on my knee, and was banned from running by my physio. Almost a year on and it still hasn't recovered.

A year on! That doesn't sound good Was it a particular injury you sustained during sport or just some cumlative effect from running?

I have an MRI scan this sunday, i have torn my cruciate ligament and damged my cartalidge in my left knee, your injury is similar to mine bobster. I did mine in 05 originally but i was lucky the tear was only minor, however last october it took a nose dive and now im not alowed to do anything but walk with my knee

What kept it good for me for the 2 years was building the muscle on my knee up an awfull lot, my thighs are huge compared to the rest of me, and apparently thats what hid the severity of my injury till now.

Chin up mate and good luck, there are things that can be done to repair the damage. Are you seeing a specialist or just your GP for it?

I'm just seeing the doctors at hospital at the moment, maybe once they know what the problem is they might refer me to a specialist. Just waiting on a MRI scan appointment.

How did you do your cruciate ligament and how did your knee feel?
I'm just a bit worried in case i have done mine.

I've injured both knees, long time ago. They've never been the same to be honest. Though mines miniscus damage.

Ant

What issues does miniscus damage give you?

 

[Bobster]

Well i saw a specialist straight away as i couldnt even walk properley at first as i couldnt bend my leg much, they took a load of xrays and luckily for me they knew straight away what it was and after a hell of a lot of phyisio and ultrasound therapy it got better and the extra muscle i put on held it tight (the muscle takes pressure off the ligament)

I tell you now though its very pain full, it felt a bit weird though, i couldnt kick a ball properly with my left foot or balance right when i was running, apparently it was beacuse my leg was like a milimeter longer or something so my body needed to adjust. If its very stiff and very painfull, and you cant balance quite right then i would say it s a ligament.

I did it playing football, i was last man defender when someone come down my left to take a shot, so i leaped in the way but when my left foot landed on the ground the knee was straight, not bent like you are told to, and with my bad luck the ball hit me knee cap square on, the his foot followed though to hit my knee and it forced my leg to try to bend the wrong way, and hey presto my knee was ruined

Yeah, i couldn't walk properly or bend my leg much at all. It's not too bad now, 3 weeks later (tomorrow) i can bend my leg nearly to 90 degrees. I still however have a little pain when it's bent with weight on it (stairs etc) I still have this brace on though so i suppose it would be worse if i didn't, this brace is supporting my knee at the moment.

When i got xrayed they didnt mention anything about possible ligament damage as my knee was too swollen for a good xray i presume. I need to wait for the MRI. It should be in the next 3 weeks hopefully.

April last year I was playing football and went to kick the ball but missed, it extended my knee slightly. Supposedly just a minor strain, but over a year later and I've now got a tight IT Band which means my right hip and down the outside of my leg constantly hurt despite all the physio I've had...

That doesn't sound good. I really hope this isn't a lasting problem. I'm only 26 and would hate not to be able to play footy again, i'm too young to retire

 

[Bobster]

i can talk you through most knee surgeries if you would like ive seen them all (ex theatre nurse), i worked with a world renoun surgeon called Prof Barrett. he specialises in sports based knee injuries. he rapaired my miniscus damage, by stapling it back in place, so no arthritis for me when im older hopefully.

rotters

Cool, i might be in touch hopefuly not though *touches wood*

 

[Bobster]

Dont worry mate, mind over matter and all that, i played football for 2 years after my original injury which sounds very similar to yours, you just got to be prepaired for some pain and a whole lot of exercise to build that muscle up right. Good luck to you

Cheers I'll update the thread with my diagnosis if the NHS ever get me an MRI scan.

Sustained damage from running over a long period of time without properly fitted trainers. I now require orthotics to run (and have run...6 or 7 times in the last 10 months?)

Ah right. Will your knee(s) get better?

 

[Bobster]

Twinblades post

Jesus!
Hope mine isn't as serious as yours! 4 years!

pabloBs post

Just had a read through your post, good luck with your recovery. Nice scars

I just wish i knew what i have done

 

[Bobster]

Well, bit of an update. Bad news

I went for my MRI last Monday and i was at the hospital again today for the report. I've totally ruptured my Anterior Cruciate and i have some meniscus damage, not too sure what damage i've done to my miniscus, i have to go back again in a week or two to see a proper knee specialist. So, it's the worst case scenario as far as i am concered.

Over the past couple of weeks its been feeling ok to be honest. I just get a bit of pain around the knee cap going up stairs, i do still have my brace on though so i suppose it's not giving me a proper idea of how things are.

Well, i'll be back to see the specialist and physio's in a week or two and we'll just take it from there.

I really want this repaired as i love playing footy, i'm gutted. I'm not really doing an exercise at the moment either because of it either. I'm getting fat(er)

Arghhhhhhh <----sorry thats just how i feel

It's even more annoying too as it wasn't even really my fault, some daft idiot mistiming a tackle.......man i'm soooo frustrated!!

 

[Bobster]

This is how I feel. I see my surgeon tomorrow to find out more about what he did to my ligament and I'm hoping he repaired any damage found. The worst feeling is the not being able to get in the gym and squat. I feel fat, old and weak and it's driving me nuts. Can't wait to get over this.

Yeah, thats how i feel. I haven't excercised properly for about 2-3 month.
Good luck with your recovery anyway Ed

Shoei's post

Jesus christ, you've had a right time over the years
Thats wet feeling down your leg must be a bit weird.
Keep your chin up mate.
My issue pales in comparison.

 

[Bobster]

Cheers.
The wet feeling is fun sometimes, first noticed it washing up, thought i'd spilt water down my leg. Putting my daughter to bed one night, thought her nappy had leaked, 5 mins of checking and all is ok.

Knee's are amazing things and do stand up to a hell of a battering.
I have utmost faith in the NHS and what they can do(pain management are an exception, RSD/CRPS doesnt exist as far as some docs/surgeons care)
Biggest advice i can give is rest it and once they do op on it, take your time going back to sport, even if it takes a couple of years to get back to where you were at pre-injury.

I must admit i have been very supprised at how good the NHS have been over the past couple of weeks. The time in between appointments is my only gripe.
Yeah, i'll certainly take it easy if/when i end up having an op to sort it. I wish i could just turn back time (or fast forward) so things were as they were.

 

[Bobster]

Exactly the same thing happened to me back in May. Only just recovered from it. Like you, I kept thinking it was alright. I didn't take a break from footie though, just used my left foot for most things. Anytime I did use my right, I would be in agony again.

So what happened? Did you end up going to the hospital or doctors? What is/was wrong with it?
I've since had an MRI and i've snapped my anterior cruciate ligament and done some miniscus damage.