what'd I do to my knee?

[davekempmeister]

Bomber is as good as any doctor, right? Anyway, I was in Denver a few weeks ago (first summer trip in 18 CO visits - go figure) visiting in-laws and hurt my knee while playing with my kids and their cousins. I was in a low squat position, eye to eye with my baby, when my nephew jumped on my back. I started to tilt back and in catching myself I bounced a bit, so to speak, and felt a twinge directly under the center of the knee cap.

I've had plenty of injuries and malladies but fortunately my knees have been good to me. I guess based on how it happened, I hyperextended it? The symptoms that persist are twinges in the same area as previously described provoked by certain angles when the knee is flexed. Also, laterally it doesn't feel quite right in a way that's tough to describe. Not so much painful as weak/limited. No swelling that's visible. I'm still riding my bike and swimming, but gently. Keeping it moving. So I don't start to ramble, I'll stop here.

[BlueB]

...but look here:

http://www.arthroscopy.com/patendrep.htm

Even if the pain is very light, have it checked! It could be a very persisting an debillitating injury. A very good friend of mine did micro ruptures of patellar tendons on both knees. It wasn't bad enough for the operation and he wasn't willing to do 6 months of bed-rest that doctor suggested. He never fully recovered and has pains even now, almost 15 years later... The injury ended his Laser sailing career, after being Junior National Champion :(

Well, whatever it is, I wish you a speedy recovery!

[Seraph]

Second on going to the doctor and the micro rupture of the patellar tendon. I used to be a speed skater and developed chronic tendonitis of my patellar tendon that was so bad that I had to quit permanently. I thought it healed but it didn't. Several years later during a workout it ruptured, sounded like a gun shot, and left me lying on the ground without being able to use my leg at all. Surgery and rehab fixed it up, made me realize that all those years that I thought it was fine I had actually just gotten used to working around the injury, and having fixed was a major improvement.

Good luck

[Jack M]

Could be ACL. Have it checked. Finding out that it's the ACL the hard way on the slopes would be "extraordinarily bad".

[bobdea]

Could be ACL. Have it checked. Finding out that it's the ACL the hard way on the slopes would be "extraordinarily bad".

what he said

happened to a kid I lived with, felt pop coming up stairs one day then the next he felt another pop then swelling and surgery

[patmoore]

Definitely get it checked.

I tore my ACL at a sky diving competition in 1969 and didn't get it repaired until 1997. I've had to have two subsequent "tune-ups".

The bad news is that I'm out of warranty, spare parts are obsolete, and the owner's manual is out of print.....

[scrapster]

Another note, good orthos often have long waits to see them, so best to act soon.

After a few years of dealing with a bum knee, including some intensive PT this spring, I'm finally going to see one myself. Made a call in early July for a late August appt!

BTW, my hyperextension didn't hurt much either at first. More of a warm, kind of numb, stiff feeling. We're now betting its a small, lateral meniscus tear.

Good luck.

[davekempmeister]

Whaaaaaaaat! Come on, what do you all really think it is. Thanks for the replies. While my health insurance is still a known quantity I'll start the ball rolling. I'll follow up when some diagnostics reveal something.

All the vertical footage I've covered in CO over the years without incident and my knee falls victim to horseplay with my little bruiser nephew. That part makes me laugh. Thanks again.