Think I did in my knee for real this time...

Well a couple months ago I got an MRI on my right knee just because of the chronic pain I get in it from the years of riding abuse. The results of the MRI were a torn lateral meniscus and a pretty good sized bakers cyst, but the doctor said that isn't an emergency and that I should just get it fixed when I get the time, but to go easy on it until then. Well two days ago I was dumb and went riding at McCormick's and my knee was feeling really good so I decided to give in to temptation and get in a few hits off the kicker (I was bored of jibbing the aframe for an hour). This turned out to be a bad idea I think. Now two days later my knee is still throbbing, hurts to put weight on it, and bend it, and it is giving way backwards. Every fourth or fifth step I take it just kind of kicks back a little bit, and I'm worried that I might have torn my PCL now. Does anyone think this is an emergency or can I just wait till April till my surgery and see what the results are then, or can I do permanent damage on my knee if I do not get it checked out?

I dont really know but you can never be too careful....I say get it checked out, you should have gone before the new year, now you have to pay the deductable. And im sure that with an MRI you maxed it out in 08.

I would say get another MRI and try to get your surgery date moved forward so you can heal for next year. I tore my maniscus a few years ago and did therapy and had it scoped. The only pain I have now is ache when it is really cold or stiff. However I do notice some soreness in my other knee from the abuse hopping around and nursing the other knee. If your knee is hurt your body will put more pressure on other joints to protect the bad one which could do long term damage to the other knee. Good luck

That sucks Kyle! Get better! CWC in March!

You'll need to get it checked again if the pain persists for a week. Ice the crap out of it and hope for the best.

If it's as bad as your describing make an appointment with your surgeon. He's going to want to know about any further damage you may have done, esspecially if it requires another MRI.

Surgeon's don't like surprises and his recomendations for timelines and activities would probably change if there is more damage.

Goodluck with it.

mmm, that don't sound good! knee injuries suck! so does recovery time. definately get in as soon as you can, you don't wanna be out during riding season.

kyle,
Your best bet is to get another MRI. It could potentially only be more damage to the meniscus, which would help dramatically with recovery time from surgery. Definitely try to stay low key with activities for at least a week. Good luck man.

perhaps this is a good excuse to move up the surgery (if possible)- then you can probably do some riding next summer!

If you did tear your PCL, it is not necessarily an emergency. You can walk around, and do some light sports with a torn ACL or PCL IF you have very strong muscles surrounding your knee, especially your quads and hamstrings. Your muscles and ligaments can support your knee for everyday activities, but you are increasing your chance of getting arthritis much sooner than normal and further tearing your meniscus. I would say get it checked out, then pick the most convenient time for surgery. Keep in mind you will have at least a 6 month recovery time before returning to sports if it is a PCL or ACL, and a much shorter time if it is just your meniscus. I wouldn't ride with your knee like it is if it continues to "give way" though because then you are at high risk for tearing your ACL and medial collateral ligament as well. Good luck!

Kyle...if you have surgery....make sure you find a REALLY good physical therapy place that is committed to getting you "stronger" than you were before. While surgeons are important....having the right rehab regime and people are in my opinion As if not more important...especially if there are any complications or set backs. Also...if you find you need surgery and won't let you go in right away...consider pre surgery therapy. I blew out my knee right before 3 weeks of big events in the store...and simply could not take the time off to get it done. I asked about doing some pre-surgery therapy to strengthen the muscles before it...the "nurse" said all I should do is take it easy. The doctor concurred. I went back to the therapist I spoke to and a friend who was an olympic track athlete with bad knees..and both said I was crazy not to get in the gym right away if I was delaying surgery. I met with my doctor again, told him what I was told, and asked him again. His quote to me was that "he didn't think he could get the insurance claim so he said to 'take it easy'. PISSED ME OFF, but we did get started with it..the surgery went well and rehab was way faster because I did some "homework" before I was scoped. Sorry for the long message...but figured you should know. Also another thing...get a cooler with a pump on it that circulates water around your knee. It will be the best investment you'll ever make to reduce swelling / improve your recovery.

Bill @ Performance.

Yea get it checked again. I tore my MCL and have a severe bone bruise and recovery is gonna suck. But dude its your knee. You shouldnt risk it, you say your knee locks out when you walk, if your knee cap moves around with ease or causes pain when you move it might be PCL. My knee moved side to side with ease and I also had the locking issue when I was standing on it for long periods of time. But the worst thing you can do is sit around and wonder and possibly hurt it more. Modern medicine rocks and ive seen a lot of destroyed knees and ive seen a lot of people bounce back from them. Good luck and dont worry there's nothing you can do about it now just make sure you take the right steps to get back on track.

I totally agree with bill @ performance ski and surf. Getting pre-surgery PT will make a huge difference in your post surgery recovery, and help create better stability for your knee if you don't get the surgery right away. If your insurance doesn't pay for pre-surgical PT, it may be beneficial to pay for a few treatment sessions to learn the exercises and have the PT set up a treatment program. Then you can do most of the exercises at home because most of them will be low-impact, low-weight stability exercises that don't need complicated equipment.

no disrespect, but please get your medical advice from your doc, not wakeworld.

(Message edited by dakid on January 03, 2009)

yeah if you're able to post here and ask about it...just shake it off! you'll be OK

Why are people on wakeworld such jackasses? (Joe) Find a hater website and go there instead of bashing people for just trying to get some advice. I AM a Physical Therapist, and know a thing or 2 about orthopedic injuries and rehab, so Kyle is actually getting medical advice from someone in the medical field. Get your facts strait before saying ignorant things!

wow, i'm a jackass for giving him good advice? how was my post ignorant? and did you just throw a title at me? ok, you're a physical therapist. cool, but have you read his medical history or are you basing everything on what's written here?

chill out. i wasn't attacking anyone. and kyle should know better being a 2nd year med student.

LOL!
he told him to get real medical advise...

how many orthopedic specialsits are surfing wakeworld giving free internet advise?

how could Joe's advice possibly be ignorant?

Irene I guess spelling wasn't taught at Phyical therpist school? strait? who's ignorant?

And, he DID say "no disrespect."

Wow, If Kyle is a 2nd year med student I'm pretty sure he hasn't even touched on the ortho aspect of injuries or the body. Also, I bet he could ask someone within his school to take a look at him. I do respect what Irene has said because I too am a physical therapist and she is hitting on the right tracks. While, an ortho consult is best, her advice should also be considered. Lets stop the bashing and help Kyle out.....

"Andy loves Delta glass (bftskir)" wrote:

> he told him to get real medical advise...
> how many orthopedic specialsits are surfing wakeworld giving free internet advise?
> Irene I guess spelling wasn't taught at Phyical therpist school?


Not to be too anal, but don't throw stones in glass houses (spelling)...

(Edit: Added smiley so it's clear I'm not really trying to attack anyone.)

(Message edited by johndk on January 04, 2009)

HAHA! Thats funny BC i suck a spelling too. Spell check always helps me out and if I cant figure out what I want to spell I use a pre K word.

Thanks John, I can take it.
advice
specialists
advice
physical therapist

better?

Thank you.

100% A+

stones ready for next glass house.

message to self: pay closer attention when throwing stones at glass houses.

> better?
>
> Thank you.


All is well again with the world. Where are those pills...

Hi Joe, others...
Obviously I respect what you bring to the commentary on wakeworld...but I have to say I disagree with you a bit on not even opening up some discussion on this topic. First I do agree that seeking factual medical opinions is prudent, and is the primary course of action....but it would be naive to not ask for advice / experience others have faced/gone through similar problems. While I would hope every person in the medical profession would only be concerned with providing the best quality care they possibly could to their patients....I experienced the limitations insurance...and the possiblity of not getting paid for these services, can make in their suggestions for offering the best possible care for the patient. (in this case myself) Luckily for me...I did ask, I did not rest on what my doctor and the nurses told me. I tried to seek out the advice of those who had experienced a similar injury, who had worked with others that had gone through this and luckily went back to my doctor...asked about "pre-surgery" therapy again, and found out he did think it would be beneficial and that it actually was covered by my insurance provider.

Thanks for being open minded to these topics. My goal and hopefully others is to pass on our knowledge and experiences to people with similar interests in the hope we can help them avoid some of the pitfalls we have faced and improve their time on the water.

Bill @ Performance.

Well said Bill!

irene, what about my response to you. was that not "well said?"

bill, i understand where you're coming from and like i said above, i don't mean to disrespect. but we know kids read this site a lot. it'd be a shame for them to think that what they read on wakeworld is enough for an injury.

sure, someone may have experienced the same injury as kyle, but who's to say that kyle's injury will respond the same way as yours, or others? none of you guys can say that. not even you, irene.

i still say the best advice ANYONE can give, regardless of their title, is to seek advice from health professionals. even if this was a medical forum, the only way kyle will get an accurate diagnosis and corresponding treatment is for him to be physically examined by a qualified health professional, whether it's an orthopedic physician or physical therapist.

don't even get me started on insurance companies!

Joe I agree 100%....and as I stated I concur that the best advice is to seek the expertise of a qualified physician. BUT....undertanding some aspects of todays medical system, and how "the best quality healthcare" is sometimes limited by the constraints insurance companies place on the doctors and their perception on their ability to get paid for their services.....is critical information anyone having surgery should have. And I feel very worthwhile putting out there for people who may be in a similar situation I was in.

Because I asked questions, sought help from others who had been through this, found therapists who worked with athletes I truly feel I was able to improve my chances for a full recovery from my surgery. If I had just listened to the doctor and nurses and "taken it easy" I truly feel I do not have had the timely full recovery I experienced. I also felt that being proactive with my rehab rather than being complacent proved to be a prudent approach. But again....I am not an orthopedic surgeon....and can speak from only my experience...but I did find it funny that my surgeon did concur with this approach when I questioned him on it and he admitted the reason he hadn't prescribed it was because he didn't think my insurance would cover it.

Sorry to get up on my soap box...but this is something I'm very passionate about and its personal. Quality medical care has become harder administer in today's world of lawsuits and insurance. As a son of a doctor who dealt with these issues and a person who was faced with them, I think I've experienced both sides of the issue...and the main reason I feel others need to hear them is that unless you ask.....you may not hear all the facts or truth.

Bill

PS: If any of you are doctors or therapists reading this.....please do not in any way shape or form let me de-value the work you do or how you do it. I have not been in your shoes and can only give me observations as an outsider...but again, feel these opinions warrant some discussion. I applaud you for your willingness to be caregivers in todays world of liability suits and challenging insurance claims. Thanks for the soap box.

PSS: Kyle...hope everything comes out fine..you are back on the water stronger than ever!! And Irene...thx for helping riders like us not only get back on the water..but ride even better than before! My life would not be the same without the impact my PT had on my rehabilitation.

(Message edited by perfski on January 06, 2009)