Knee Muscle Damage

[James Hunt]

Hi there. Two months ago I had a motorbike crash. My right knee was severely swollen to the size of a melon and ripped my trousers like the incredible hulk! Had an x-ray and the doc said there were no broken bones, just severe haematoma and the knee cap had risen slightly. After a few days my entire right leg was bruised from yellow, to blue, to purple and black. The worst affected area was the inside of the right knee.

Fast forward 2 months and now the swelling has gone, but there is lumpy muscle on the inside and just below my knee cap (my knee cap is now in its correct position). After home physiotherapy my leg is now less stiff and walking causes no problems, although is sometimes a little stiff. Climbing stairs is not difficult or painful but again sometimes is a little stiff, actually taut is a better word. I can pull my knee up to the chest and pull it back behind my back, but once again it feels taut, not really painful.

I have been wearing a knee support/compress, but the traditional therapist I have been seeing now says to remove it so the muscles (particularly behind my knee) can stregthen (these muscles when knee was bent sometimes were painful). I love cycling and went out cycling for 2 hours in the hope i would build up muscle strength and hopefully loosen up the muscles. It felt much looser when riding but the next day was just as taut, with perhaps very slight swelling.

Why is the muscle taking so long to loosen/heal? Are there any exercises i should / shouldn't be doing to speed recovery? HELP!

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[sarahkelly]

If possible, get an MRI scan, just from what you said about what happened to the joint immediately afterwards....
When you say "home physiotherapy" and "traditional therapist" what does that mean have you ever been to see a physiotherapist?