Knee injury question

[surfbum5412 0]

Figured there's gotta be someone on here that has had this happen to them...

Had a hard landing on my canopy and landed straight down on my knee pretty hard. So far, I got an MRI (didn't show anything torn) and was told by the ortho doc and physical therapist that I "bruised the cartilage, but didn't tear it." It has been 6 weeks and fluid continues to build up inside the knee joints. And I haven't jumped or done anything "high impact" since the accident; just physical therapy.

Any advise on healing time? Also, should I press the doc about getting it drained and injected with cortisone?

[billvon 2,407]

>Any advise on healing time?

Took me about 3 months. But every injury/person is different.

>Also, should I press the doc about getting it drained and injected with
>cortisone?

Why? Cortisone suppresses your immune system and can help with inflammation - but often inflammation is an important part of healing, and cortisone can actually slow the process. Unless there is some therapeutic value in your case (and your doctor would know best about that) I'd let it heal.

[surfbum5412 0]

That's what I was figuring. Just sucks because I keep saying "I'll be out this weekend..." then the weekend comes around and it still hasn't drained. These knee things take time! God damn.

[James.UWE 0]

I tripped in a small drain that was missing its cover while running of a landing at Perris in April. I came down hard on my knee.

The Doctor at the ER said I had fractured my patella. Once I was back in the UK (via first class flights and an ambulance waiting for me at Heathrow courtesy of the insurance company ) I had an MRI scan which showed 'query' slight ruptures in my medial and lateral collateral ligaments and some nasty bruising and tissue damage. They were unsure whether it was fractured or not, as it may have been a 'natural abnormality'. I was given Diclofenac to reduce the inflammation, along with a few different pain killers (tramadol was quite 'interesting')

My knee was HUGE for around a month or so, but has slowly gone back to a more normal size. It's still the wrong shape, but the inflammation has gone down now.

So, after 2 months, I'm off crutches and walking around ok now. It does however still ache a bit, and I can't run or anything yet. For me, I'd say at least 3 months, but I suppose it would depend on the severity of your injury.

I asked the orthopedic consultant how long he estimated before I could jump and he said that would be up to my physio.

Hope you heal quickly. :)

[format 0]

Everybody will tell you to wait until your knee heals.
+1

And now, for the fun:
the other day, I've landed on one leg, hop, hop hopping, trying not to "injur" other leg Of coarse it was WL 1:1

What goes around, comes later.

[brucet7 0]

Quote

Any advise on healing time? Also, should I press the doc about getting it drained and injected with cortisone?

My experience has been months, not weeks. Anti-inflammatories and ice, lots of ice, will go a long ways, even after this amount of time.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[k-dubjumps 0]

I haven't injured a knee, but know people that have and know that they can be tricky. Do what the doc says. I would ask about Kinesio Tape. It may help speed along the healing process and will at least likely help with the swelling. That stuff is amazing!

Adrenaline is my crack

DPH #3
D.S. #16 FAG #12 Muff Brother #4406

[surfbum5412 0]

Quote

I haven't injured a knee, but know people that have and know that they can be tricky. Do what the doc says. I would ask about Kinesio Tape. It may help speed along the healing process and will at least likely help with the swelling. That stuff is amazing!

Thanks a lot. I'll look into that.

[ladydyver 0]

cortisone will also weaken the ligament ---- definitely not something to do unless it is a last resort type of thing. Also there is the risk of introduing infection into the joint when you drain a joint.....they usually have to have a pretty large effusion present for me to stick a needle in there.....but then again i work in the er and it is different in an orthopedic office (less germs for one)

make sure you are taking care of your knee in between....icing 4 x a day for 20 minutes (you can increase the frequency but not the length of time)....keep it wrapped - elevate. Soft tissue injuries take a longer period of time to heal than bone does. Some soft tissue injuries can take up to 6 months to heal....of course that is what is recommended if you rupture a ligament or have surgical repair done.

as for my experience....i actually ruptured a couple of the ligaments and had to have them repaired....surgery was not fun and the recovery was even less fun. you may be over doing it and keeping it inflamed because of that........lots of things to consider really and since you dont live here and I can't fly there right now it is difficult to diagnose over the internet ----

how soon was the mri after injury?????? are you taking any anti-inflammatories?

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[dugy 0]

Sounds like with time and taking it easy/following the advice you should be fine.

Over the years (inc. motorbikes and sports other than skydiving) I've smashed up both my knees to the point of having both bone and cartilage removed. (With my knee swelling to the size of my thigh.)

I can't say what would work for you to speed up recovery.

But what has worked for me is taking glucosamine & chondroitin along with cod liver oil to help the joints.

I also did/do a lot of walking at the beach, low impact on the joint, but you can still keep the muscles and ligaments strong.
(If that's too much walk laps of a swimming pool.)

[surfbum5412 0]

Quote

cortisone will also weaken the ligament ---- definitely not something to do unless it is a last resort type of thing. Also there is the risk of introduing infection into the joint when you drain a joint.....they usually have to have a pretty large effusion present for me to stick a needle in there.....but then again i work in the er and it is different in an orthopedic office (less germs for one)

make sure you are taking care of your knee in between....icing 4 x a day for 20 minutes (you can increase the frequency but not the length of time)....keep it wrapped - elevate. Soft tissue injuries take a longer period of time to heal than bone does. Some soft tissue injuries can take up to 6 months to heal....of course that is what is recommended if you rupture a ligament or have surgical repair done.

as for my experience....i actually ruptured a couple of the ligaments and had to have them repaired....surgery was not fun and the recovery was even less fun. you may be over doing it and keeping it inflamed because of that........lots of things to consider really and since you dont live here and I can't fly there right now it is difficult to diagnose over the internet ----

how soon was the mri after injury?????? are you taking any anti-inflammatories?

thanks for that info about the cortisone and draining. I had read somewhere about the cortisone weakening the ligaments. And to me, it's seems like a bad thing to do because then wouldn't you just be masking the problem with the cortisone? Go out and jump, and the wham! Torn meniscus! :-)

I am icing it 4x a day. An ace wrap is on it all day. Also, anytime I'm home I'm keeping it elevated. I take 2 ibuprofen's 3x/day. I work as a med device rep, so I am walking throughout the hospitals. I noticed that the walking gets it inflamed, so I try to minimize that. Also, 2 weeks ago I started PT.

MRI was done about a month after the injury. Everything was "unremarkable."

[ladydyver 0]

sounds like you are doing the right things....just may take some time. you can always see if the doc will kick up the anti-inflammatory.....see what they like to use...we all have different preferences and long term use can cause problems with the kidneys. honestly ibuprofen is a lousy anti-inflammatory unless you take it around the clock and in high doses....that is just my opinion of course. keep working at it...knee's are tough and tough to rehab....my PT said I will have to do therapy forever to keep the function of my knee where i need it to be to jump....so it is exercise and ice frequently. low impact stuff is great...recumbant bicycling and pool therapy are a god send....avoid high impact stuff like walking and jogging....your PT will guide you in the right direction. I myself had a love hate thing with mine....got back to the sport early because he taught me what i needed to do to get back....but he was fricken brutal during therapy. It is truly like they say...no pain...no gain.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[surfbum5412 0]

Quote

sounds like you are doing the right things....just may take some time. you can always see if the doc will kick up the anti-inflammatory.....see what they like to use...we all have different preferences and long term use can cause problems with the kidneys. honestly ibuprofen is a lousy anti-inflammatory unless you take it around the clock and in high doses....that is just my opinion of course. keep working at it...knee's are tough and tough to rehab....my PT said I will have to do therapy forever to keep the function of my knee where i need it to be to jump....so it is exercise and ice frequently. low impact stuff is great...recumbant bicycling and pool therapy are a god send....avoid high impact stuff like walking and jogging....your PT will guide you in the right direction. I myself had a love hate thing with mine....got back to the sport early because he taught me what i needed to do to get back....but he was fricken brutal during therapy. It is truly like they say...no pain...no gain.

People always ask me about their knee injury because I had mine, so here's a little update on what the doc diagnosed mine as in case something similar happens to anyone.

No wind landing, so when I hit the ground I fell on my knee cap and slid on it for about 10 feet or so. That caused the patella (knee cap) to jam inward and up (MRI showed quadricep tendon signaling). When this happens, TRAUMATIC CHONDROMALACIA can be the result. The cartilage behind the patella is softened or fragments break away, and since it's articular cartilage (no blood supply) the recovery is a very very long time. Until then, soreness and swelling result from too much walking, going up/down stairs, and squatting. and as a result of swelling, muscle atrophy starts to kick in, which just makes matters worse.

Doc said the same thing happened to his friend and it took about 6 months to heal. It's been about 4 months for me and my range of motion is starting to comeback. Not as much effusion. and the muscle atrophy is getting better through muscle stim at PT and pool exercises.

[pirana 0]

Age may play a large role in how fast it heals.

My first knee surgery I was 19. It was major stuff, opened up the old fashioned way following what was called "complete derangement." Not sure exactly what that means but from the time of injury until surgery my lower leg was stuck at 45 degrees left of my thigh.

3 months after surgery I was going full tilt with no symptoms at all.

Second surgery at about age 48 (same knee - orthoscopic), it took 6 months before I could really push it and 2 years at least before I got back enough range of motion to say it was something close to normal.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley