Torn quad muscle?

[stormrogue]

Back in Feb I injured my knee while playing football. There was no one near me I just tried to change direction putting all my weight on my left leg when it buckled under neath me. The whole knee was swollen and I visited my GP who sent me for an Xray to make sure there was no blood in the swelling. The Xray nurse said it looked ok and just said go back to your GP which I did and he referred me to Physiotherapy. I have been back at work (telephone engineer) which involves climbing poles and kneeling down and in the last week noticed pain and weakness when wlking up stairs. After getting home from work and still wearing my knee support my leg gave way again . Iwas able to get to the kitchen get some ice and then sit when the pain kicked in keepingme awake all night Ibruprofen didnt help at all. Went to A+E in the morning Xrayed again and they said my patella was sitting very low and the patella tendon was loose and sent me to surgical assesment who after a few hours have said they think I have damaged my Quad muscle and I am now waiting for an ultrasound to see if this is the case. My knee joint is very painfull on the inside and I still have a lot of swelling (which is very firm whereas last time it was more fluid) directly above the kneecap . Has any one had this happen to them and does it sound like the right diagnosis? I am only unsure because there was never an explanation of why it happened back in Feb only I may have stretched my lateral ligament. Sorry for the epic story but I have tried to include everything. Any replies gratefully received. Sean.

[sqad617]

It sounds like a ligament problem, but an MRI scan on the knee is essential.

[stormrogue]

The docs have pulled my knee about and so has the physio and I agree an MRI would explain it but they dont seem to want to send me for one . I was down the hospital from 10 am untill 5:30 pm you would have thought they could have sent me for one then or gave me the ultrasound there and then to confirm what they think it may be but I have to wait for an appointment for that to come through. Its a pity I dont have private medical cover or I probably would havehad the MRI back in Feb when it first happened.

[rinkins]

Could you have knackered your AC ligament? Sqad?

[sqad617]

rinkins....quite possibly.
stormrogue....if you had been a footballer, you would have had an MRI immediately.

MRI's are expensive and time consuming for the NHS , but that should not be a bar to a reasonable level of care.

Push for an MRI.

[wolf63]

He IS a footballer - that is how he hurt his knee.

My sympathies on your knee pain - I did my right knee in the other day swerving to miss (or was it kick) an attacking feline. It is the ligament that I have damaged and it hurts like hell - if that is an 'allowed word'.

Best wishes stormrogue.

[sqad617]

wolf....I was refering to a professional footballer.

[stormrogue]

Thanks for the replies and sympathy guys. Still no appointment through yet for the ultrasound . I will wait until posts been on monday then ring up or head to my GPs and try to get her to speed things up. I will update when I know what the verdict is.

[stormrogue]

By monday as I hadnt heard from the ultrasound I phoned them and was told told my name was on their list but not as an emergency and the waiting list was 5-6 wks. Although within an hour of me calling them they had called me back and told me to come down the next day so I went and had the scan the lady doing the scan said she wouldnt get intii a conversation with me about what she has seen as it was beyond her knowledge and she would send the results back to the fracture clinic and they would contact me. When I hadnt heard anything by the monday I called and was told that I was supposed to ring them and make an appointment (not the other way round ) and that they didnt know where my results were. I phoned the ultrasound to ask who my results were sent to (surely this isnt my job?) and was told the orthapeadic consultant (Fracture clinic ) . Spoke to the consultants secretary who has made an appointment for me for a week wednesday because she said this will give her enough time to track down my results. So it will be 3 wks after the injury I will hopefully find out what I have done and how it can be fixed.