Knee Injuries - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

Shannon · 01-18-2005, 12:07 PM

Well, gang, your illustrious host has injured her left knee. I had an MRI and two x-ray films taken this morning, and am awaiting the results. As is typical, I didn't even injure it while hiking... no, it was far more boring than that (missed the last step on my stairs while carrying a heavy basket; and previously had injured it a week before Thanksgiving after jumping off a ladder 3-4 rungs up -- don't ask.)

We shall see. I assume hikers and backpackers receive knee injuries more often than the general population, so if anyone has recommandations I'm all ears. The most recent injury was on the 13th of this month, and since then I've regained most of my mobility -- just can't bend the knee anywhere knee 90 degrees, and it occasionally "buckles" on me if I put too much force on it; that, and I scream bloodly murder if I forget and try to pivot on my left leg. Still swollen and extremely tender.

I've got an orthopedic specialist lined up here in town and we'll see what goes from here.

Is it normal to call for x-ray films when originally the physician had only requested an MRI? Seems like they saw something that at least looked like a potential fracture (hairline, etc.)

I'll keep ya posted. I've learned a lot more about the knee joint and it's really quite amazing how we humans are put together. Amazingly complex system that we don't pay near enough attention to until something hurts us. :yes:

toejam · 01-18-2005, 12:20 PM

Bummer, sorry to hear. On the bright side, you are young and should heal fast. You should also develop some good habits during physical therapy that will keep your knees healthier down the road.

vettech2112 · 01-18-2005, 03:05 PM

As somone who has suffered from knee problems his whole life, I have to give you a virtual <HUG> for what you're going through. My knee never has quite healed from my stumble in Hill Country SNA.

To answer your diagnostic question - Xrays and MRIs show the joint in different ways. Xrays show bone better than MRIs but are lousy at showing soft tissue & cartilage. MRIs are the exact opposite. If one physician ordered an MRI, likely he was suspecting a soft tissue or cartilage (in the knee this would be meniscus, like what I hurt) injury. The other Dr obviously was leaning more toward a bone injury.

As Toejam just said, you are young and healthy so I wouldn't worry overmuch.

In my less-than professional opinion (former RN student, current vet tech & fellow knee injury sufferer), if the knee has a tendency to "buckle", I'd be thinking soft tissue.

Incidentally, I did the same damn thing when moving 6 weeks ago. I was carrying an aquarium down the stairs from my apartment in Houston (a trip I've made several times a days for nearly 4 years) and just stepped out into space 2 steps from the bottom. I broke the last digit of my left hand middle finger and scraped both knees worse than I've ever scraped them in my life but I saved the aquarium!

Shannon · 01-18-2005, 04:51 PM

Thanks for the feedback, guys. The pain is ever-present, but nothing like the first 1-3 days. Justin was about to pack his bags and stay in a hotel because he hates seeing me (a gal with a rather high pain threshhold) wincing, limping, flinching, cursing and staggering around like Frankenstein. I'm proud to say I've graduated to mostly just limping and cursing! :laugh:

Psst... next time, screw the aquarium and save yourself!

Oddly enough, the basket I was carrying (loaded to the gills with laundry from upstairs) was also "saved" during my fall. Didn't throw it, dump it or anything. You're lucky that aquarium didn't break or you'd have had some nice lacerations to go with the knee injury, I'll bet!

vettech2112 · 01-18-2005, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shannon

Psst... next time, screw the aquarium and save yourself!

Oddly enough, the basket I was carrying (loaded to the gills with laundry from upstairs) was also "saved" during my fall. Didn't throw it, dump it or anything. You're lucky that aquarium didn't break or you'd have had some nice lacerations to go with the knee injury, I'll bet!

In that moment of realizing I was about to fall, that's what went through my head. If I'd tried to save myself, I could very well have landed on the aquarium and been seriously injured (or even killed) by the glass. I think skinned knees and a broken fingertip is a small price to pay considering... Of course in hindsight tossing the aquarium away would have been the prudent move but we don't have that "pause button" in the real world, eh?

Good luck with the knee. Look at it this way, you got hurt in winter... too damn cold to go hike anyways.

I hadda forego a day on horseback this past Sunday due to the cold and a nasty bug that's been floating around my clinic.

ploddinTod · 01-19-2005, 01:14 PM

Shannon, I'm very sorry to hear of your injury, particularly since you're getting stoked for your first backpacking trip. And, Vettech, I was just wondering the other day if you had totally recoverd from your knee injury. Too bad.

Looks like more equestrian and biking activities for you than hiking.
:cool: I would like to interject a few words about home safety, although a bit too late for you two. While at home we feel like we're in a comfort zone. And for the most part, we are. But don't let your safety mentality take a day off. These are all common sense items but are often taken for granted when we are at home. Work at a comfortable pace, don't rush. Keep your eyes on your path and eyes on your work when stationary. Ask for help if carrying a bulky item that will put you at risk of tripping or falling.
And don't forget your protective equipment when needed: gloves, safety glasses or goggles, ear plugs, etc.
We can't optimize our enjoyment of the Great Texas Outdoors when we're injured or worse. :yes:

Shannon · 01-19-2005, 04:22 PM

I'm still playing the waiting game. The physician I need to speak to is off until tomorrow, but I did get the preliminary results of my MRI and x-rays (taken Tuesday morning) a little while ago.

All they told me was that I do have “a cartilage tear and a ligament tear”. They didn’t specify what ligament or anything beyond that. So I’ll wait until tomorrow for further information.

That’s all I know. It ain’t much more than I knew before! Obviously, I knew something was wrong in there and really that’s all I still know.

I have an appointment with a local orthopedic specialist (he's also a surgeon) on Monday afternoon.

Tried to do a little walking today on a relatively flat paved walking trail in my parents' neighborhood. Didn't make it far... maybe a half mile or 3/4 mile... before the pain got to be too much. Tried walking without the brace I've got (neoprene & velcro, worn on top of my jeans because it puts too much pressure on my knee cap area when worn against the skin), and that was fruitless as well -- my knee buckles far too easily, and I didn't want to go down on pavement or into the weeds.

Shannon · 01-21-2005, 01:00 AM

The latest knee news is that the ligament I tore was indeed the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), as well as some cartilage. I’ll be picking up my MRI and x-ray films tomorrow so I have them in-hand for Monday afternoon’s appointment with the specialist. I look forward to seeing the films, since I didn't get to see them after they were taken.

Due to the sadly, embarassingly mundane way in which I brought these injuries upon myself, I am working on a Top 10 List of ways that I wish I could say I’d injured myself. I only have 5 so far, but give me time – I’ll get to 10 soon enough!

Question: “How did you injure your knee, Shannon?”

Answers:
#5: “I fell out of a tree, moments after getting the perfect photo of an endangered golden-cheeked warbler!”

#4: “I was helping an entire Boy Scout troop put guy lines out on all their tents when a freak wind storm kicked up!”

#3: “I was carrying so much camera equipment on this particular hike, I leaned forward and my pack pulled me backward into a boulder field.”

#2: “I was protecting the family homestead from a pack of rabid opossoms!”

{ DRUM ROLL }

#1: “I was running from a mad alligator at Brazos Bend State Park!”

Well, dammit, it sure beats the reality, doesn’t it? I long to get out on a trail with rocks, steep slopes and sweeping vistas; hell, even some mud would be nice. Pavement gets boring, and makes hiding a limp harder than if you’re walking on uneven terrain to begin with.

Shannon · 01-21-2005, 01:27 PM

I have six 11"x14" sheets of MRI films, none of which look remarkable to me (a layman), but here's the summarized report from the imaging lab:

...A complete tear of the ACL doesn't sound good. Doesn't feel good, either, I can tell you that much. Still, I'm surprisingly mobile. Just not particularly steady, especially if I forget that I've got a "lame" knee at the moment. So I've been routinely icing, heating and bracing it (if I'm going to be up and around a lot).

ploddinTod · 01-21-2005, 01:42 PM

So, when are you going to have it scoped?

Shannon · 01-21-2005, 02:00 PM

Specialist sees me on Monday afternoon. I'll know more then. No one had told me it was a complete tear, so it was a little surprising when I checked out the films (which mean nothing to me -- "Oh, that's my knee. There's bone, there's other stuff....") and the included report which I attached a few moments ago to this thread. Thought it'd be interesting for others, and word to the wise to take better care of our knees (as so aptly was stated, that starts AT HOME, not just when we get all psyched up for a backpacking, camping or hiking trip!)

Wheee... I can see my health insurance deductible creeping up on me right quick, this year! But that's what health insurance s'for, so I'm not complaining.

ploddinTod · 01-21-2005, 06:02 PM

Be sure to write down all the questions that you want to ask the doctor. Don't just assume that he will explain everything to you thoroughly. He might but then again some doctors are so smart but have a hard time talking and explaining things to their patients. If you want to know what's what in your x-rays, ask those questions too. :idea:

Shannon · 01-24-2005, 08:11 PM

Saw the specialist today (the same specialist/surgeon who did some complex surgery on my mom's ankle near her Achille's tendon several years ago).

He confirmed the imaging lab's report of a complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and a meniscal tear, so I'll be having a patellar bone/tendon graft on FEBRUARY 4th to replace the trashed ACL, and cut/shave off the torn portion of the meniscus.

I chatted with a gentleman several years younger than me (that or he proves the "Men age better than women" adage) who was in for his 10 day post-op checkup for the exact same procedure I'll be having. He was honest about the pain and reliance on others for simple tasks, basically reiterating what I've already learned from the first couple days after my injury -- this is temporary disability, and you see the world in a whole new way when you are among the disabled for a bit. His surgeon is the same as my specialist/surgeon, and his comments went a long way to bolster my general impression of the Dr. (in addition to my mom's experiences). When I finally met with the specialist, his bedside manner is top-notch -- he was having a hectic Monday, with all appointments running 1-1.5 hours behind schedule due to an emergency surgery he was called in to, but once the exam room door shut he was totally focused on me. The rest of his staff was the same, including a number I can call with any questions I have anytime before my surgery.

So, here we go gang. ACL replacement and meniscus repair. Not exactly on my list of desired accomplishments for 2005, but that's the breaks.

Surgery is at 7 AM on February 4th, and my first followup appointment with the surgeon/specialist is on February 14th (Valentine's Day -- just realized that.) No physical therapy required pre-op, since it's a total tear it's apparently less important than if we needed to strengthen what's there to help make the surgery and rehab go smoother. I will have physical therapy post-op, but that won't be lined up until my first post-op checkup.

If anyone's in the S.A. area, I highly recommend the San Antonio Orthopaedic Group, and Dr. Jesse DeLee in particular, though he is the most sought after physician and can at times be difficult to see (not with a torn ACL and meniscus, apparently; they actually were ready to see me on January 19th but I wouldn't have had my MRI films in hand in time to share them so I postponed to the 24th, today.)

Send good thoughts, good vibes, prayers and high fives. I'm not (too) worried, but it can't hurt.

And I have no intentions of this sidelining my forays into backpacking -- in fact, all my new backpacking gear is still in full view downstairs as a daily reminder of my goals.

I'll keep posting minor "I'm still here" updates to this thread, but for the details and all, I'd like to refer folks to my personal website, GeekHabitat.com, so I don't flood WildTexas.com with this stuff. Especially if I get the desire to share my pain by posting post-op photos.

So, my "knee adventure" related blog entries on my personal site can be found here: http://geekhabitat.com/topics/wellness/knee-health/

ploddinTod · 01-25-2005, 09:58 AM

Sounds like you're in good hands. We wish you a full and speedy recovery. BTW, do you and Justin use a hiking staff or hiking poles? As you've probably read elsewhere, they really save the wear and tear on the knees with or without a previous injury. :yes:

Shannon · 01-25-2005, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ploddinTod

Sounds like you're in good hands. We wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Thank you very much. Justin, my family and his are already gearing up to be my support system while I'm laid up for awhile (particularly since we live in a 2-story house, and my office and our bedroom is upstairs; I sense a lot of stuff will temporarily migrate downstairs for accessibility -- me, my laptop and the cats, at the very least!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ploddinTod

BTW, do you and Justin use a hiking staff or hiking poles? As you've probably read elsewhere, they really save the wear and tear on the knees with or without a previous injury. :yes:

Something in me must've known my knee was in for a rough year, because one of my Christmas wish items was a new Sherlock walking staff (with a camera/binocular mount under the screw-off handle). Justin bought me it for Christmas, and I actually had to use that to move around under my own power for a couple days after my injury. While it's certainly not a replacement for crutches or a cane, it provided stability and thus got broken in a bit already. Nice, spongy/grippy handle and the standard Sherlock footprint with a screw-off footpad protecting the soft-terrain spike at the end. Justin has had a Sherlock for years, and occasionally uses it. I suspect after surgery and physical therapy, we'll both be more religious about knee/leg care, and use our walking staffs.

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