Sporting injury of knee october, not yet diagnosed!

On october 12th I had a fall onto my bum, from quite a height. when i landed my left leg was in a bent position with my heel towards my bum, and the inside of my left knee was touching the floor quite bent over a 90 degree angle. it was an extremely sudden movement. my first thought was that i had broken my leg, the pain was unbearalble. i had severe pain in the back of my knee both sides and down my leg - from the outsides of my knee in a V towards my foot. I had to have gas and air to straighten my knee, and then morphine. I had a x-ray at hospital - nothing wrong with bones. The doctors bandaged my leg and told me to see my doctor in 10 days.

I saw my GP - he said there was two pints of fluid in my knee. i took inflamatry tablets for 5 weeks three a day. i saw him again and he said most fluid was gone and that as i could do my everyday things and my knee felt stronger i would be able to continue with my sport again and that no serious damage had been done.

I continued with my sport 6 weeks later and my leg was steadily builing i could feel the muscles were stronger each time.

However 2 weeks later i landed on my feet straight legged on a slight inclanation - and my knee gave way and twisted - (it felt as though i had landed on a plug and my knee automatically gave way to stop weight going onto my foot.) With this i was in more pain than the first time i had twisted my knee. I had to go through the gas and air and morphine routine again. had an x ray again - nothing wrong there. doctors werent particularly concerned. and continuously asked me to walk on my leg. i did so in lots of pain my knee felt like my bones had swolen up inside my leg with no room left for movement. i rested and used ice and heat to take the swelling down.

its still sore now. i can completely bend my leg for the first time since october however with no pain. although it is still very sore and doesnt feel like normal. i am still suffering with pain in the back and mainly the left outsife of my knee. and occasionally since october a sharp very painfull feeling in the inside middle of my knee undermy knee cap.

I saw my doctor again - he told me no sports, and had finally referred me to see a knee specialist. this is going to take weeks as the nhs waiting list is very big at the moment. he also told me to strengthen my leg muscles by doing excercises - he said that as its muscles that hold the knee together - this should sort the problem out? but i am in so much pain im scared its something more serious.

I am looking to go to a sports physiotherapist in the next couple of days - i really need to know what is wrong and how long until i wil be back to normal.

Please if any one can give me any advice on anything i have mentioned i would be extremely greatfull.

Also have been looking to get a Hinged Knee Brace, so that i can continue with my sport and this will strengthen my knee the quickest and hopefully the right muscles. I dont know if they work or if it would still allow me to damage my knee further. aslo i dont think i could take the pain if it didnt work. its unbearable.

I would stop all sport for now until you have a correct diagnosis. No knee swells with 2 pints of fluid without an injury!! Sounds like the injury could have been extensive actually. Likely suspects are a cruciate rupture of some type or a patella dislocation which relocated under the gas. If the later were true then you might have in fact done both.

The recent episode suggests a cruciate issue as well, perhaps the anterior one. You should be able to get an idea if this is the case from the sports physio and this will be confirmed with an MRI (as you cannot see the ligaments on a plain x-ray).

Sorry for the bad news but a brace should not be used until you have a diagnosis :(