A pop below the knee.? I was descending the curved staircase in my home shortly after finishing a run when I felt a pop in my right leg just below the knee. I'm a 5' 9" 65-year-old male weighing 165 pounds. I had been running three miles a day five days a week. For several weeks, it was suddenly painful to even walk. I now walk without pain, but it still bothers me at night and I'm unable to run. It's been over four months; my internist said it's probably a torn ligament, and that I should simply continue to wait. I'm getting frustrated. Should I wait or see a sports doctor? Ed Morello, Cornwall, NY You should seek consultation from a primary care sports medicine specialist or an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in sports and running injuries. Your description is puzzling. Had it been a serious injury, such as patellar patellar of or pertaining to the patella. patellar cartilage a cartilaginous process borne on the medial side of the patella of horses and cattle. tendon or ligament rupture, this would have been extremely debilitating de·bil·i·tat·ing adj. Causing a loss of strength or energy. Debilitating Weakening, or reducing the strength of. Mentioned in: Stress Reduction and would have compromised your function greatly. I'm not sure that I'm sensing major discomfort with your injury. Still, it should be properly diagnosed. Did you rupture fascia overlaying the muscles on the outer aspect of the knee/leg? Did you rupture the iliotibial band insertion? An MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. will help determine the exact extent of the injury. Rob Meislin, MD, New York, NY This doesn't sound like a ligament injury. It may be a "wear and tear" type of cartilage tear. I think you need a good set of x-rays from an orthopedist, including standing-knee films of both knees, plus skyline, tunnel and lateral views of the involved knee. An MRI is a good idea to rule out a cartilage tear or some other injury. You may wish to swim or cycle to keep your frustration to a minimum in the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile . Larry D. Hull, MD, Centralia, WA You might check for pes anserine bursitis and/or tendinitis. [Editor's note: The pes anserine bursa is a small lubricating sac located between the shinbone shin·bone n. See tibia. (tibia tibia: see leg. ) and three tendons of the hamstring muscle at the inside of the knee.] Symptoms include medial proximal tibial tibial pertaining to the tibia. tibial crest a longitudinal prominence on the cranial border of the proximal tibia. Its proximal end (tibial tubercle) has a growth plate separate from the proximal tibia; hyperflexion injuries to tenderness and tight hamstrings. Also, check for a lumbopelvic dysfunction that may be resulting in a shorter leg. Mitch Goldflies, MD, Chicago, IL |
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