Knee Injury Diagnosis

1. Knee Injury Diagnosis

2. Knee Anatomy

3. Meniscus Tear • A meniscus tear is usually caused by twisting or turning quickly, often with the foot planted while the knee is bent. Meniscus tearscan occur when you lift something heavy or play sports. As you get older, your meniscus gets worn. This can make it tear more easily. • With a minor tear, you may have slight pain and swelling. This usually goes away in 2 or 3 weeks. • A moderate tear can cause pain at the side or center of your knee. Swelling slowly gets worse over 2 or 3 days. This may make your knee feel stiff and limit how you can bend your knee, but walking is usually possible. You might feel a sharp pain when you twist your knee or squat. These symptoms may go away in 1 or 2 weeks but can come back if you twist or overuse your knee. The pain may come and go for years if the tear isn't treated. • In severe tears, pieces of the torn meniscus can move into the joint space. This can make your knee catch, pop, or lock. You may not be able to straighten it. Your knee may feel "wobbly" or give way without warning. It may swell and become stiff right after the injury or within 2 or 3 days.

4. ACL Injury • Symptoms of a severe and sudden (acute) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury include: • Feeling or hearing a "pop" in the knee at the time of injury. • Sudden instability in the knee. (The knee feels wobbly, buckles, or gives out.) This may happen after a jump or change in direction or after a direct blow to the side of the knee. • Pain on the outside and back of the knee. • Knee swelling within the first few hours of the injury. This may be a sign of bleeding inside the joint. Swelling that occurs suddenly is usually a sign of a serious knee injury. • Limited knee movement because of swelling and/or pain. • After an acute injury, you will almost always have to stop the activity you are doing, but you may be able to walk. • Other health problems can cause symptoms like those of an ACL injury. They include a bone break or injuries to the knee cushions (menisci) or to other ligaments in the knee.

5. PCL Injury • PCL injuries are often due to a blow to the knee while it's bent. Common causes include: • Striking the knee against the dashboard during an auto accident • Falling on the knee while it's bent Symptoms of PCL Injury • Most people don't feel or hear a "popping" sensation in the knee after a PCL injury. This is more common with an injury to the ACL. • After a PCL injury, people often think they only have a minor knee problem. They may try to go on with their usual activities. However, symptoms that can develop include: • Swelling (mild to severe) • Knee pain • Wobbly sensation in the knee • Trouble walking or bearing weight on the knee

6. Bill Bill is 50 and came into the hospital complaining about knee pain. He said the pain started 3 days ago when he was moving bricks across his yard to build a new fire pit. He was lifting the wheel barrow when he felt a sharp pain in the side of his right knee. The ground beneath him was soft, so he thought he just twisted it a little, but then it started to swell and worsen. He says his knee works fine, but is extremely sore and painful to use, especially when he has to kneel or bend down low to pick up something.

7. Tina • Tina is 17 and a soccer player for her high school. As she told the doctors, at her most recent game, she and another girl had a collision and the other player ended up falling onto the outside (lateral) part of her left leg. She says she heard a "pop" and felt a sharp pain in her knee. When Tina tried getting back to her feet, she felt very unstable and wobbly on that leg and had to be carried off the field and taken to the hospital.

8. Hank Hank is 21 and a football player in college -- running back. During the game this past weekend, he rushed the ball through the middle and tried pushing through the line. He thinks someone from his team may have fallen into him because Hank collapsed with a shooting pain in his right knee. He said that he felt a pop when he hit the ground and that his right leg was wobbly to stand on. Hank complained to his trainers that it hurt on the inside, the outside, and back of his knee, so he had to be taken away in a stretcher. By the time he got to the hospital, his knee had already swollen to the size of a soft ball.

9. Mindy Mindy is 64 and was in a car accident. While she was okay afterwards, she complained that her left knee hurt and was swelling after it hit the dashboard of the car. She generally ignored the discomfort, but found it difficult to walk without her leg slipping underneath her. Standing and bearing any weight on that leg was also difficult.