Hi, I dont' think I am going to get any responses to my knee MRI question, so I am going to rephrase a couple of questions to see if I get any other type of help or responses from anyone who knows what I am talking about or has gone through the same thing. I appreciate ANY HELP AT ALL PLEASE!!!
I am a 56 year old woman with chronic back pain, an on the job injury from Sept 1999. I have DDD, FAcet Disease and probably SI joint disease as well, with herniated disks, and bulging disks on 4 different levels. I take Methadone along with other meds for this pain. NOw on to the current problem.
I somehow injured my left knee at least a year ago, but several injuries including falling into the tub at night when it was dark, slipping on wet grass and falling on my knees, along with at least one other fall makes it hard to pinpoint the exact cause of this injury and pain. My left knee has been hurting and swollen on the inside front of the knee at least since March of 1999, ( I complained to my husband and took photos to make sure I wasn't imaginiang things.) Finally this past April a neurosurgeon who was examining my back looked at my knee and after attempting to move it in different ways said he thought I may have a torn Meniscus, and should see an Orthopedic about it. After an Xray in May ruled out anything, my regualar dr. finally got an MRI this last week.
The results of the MRI are posted in an earlier post about two days ago, so I won't repeat it all here, but this is the jist of it and my question.
It basically says I have some changes in the Medial Patellar facet, ( articular thinning, and some suprapatellar bursal fluid as well.) Also some bone contusions, Bone marrow abnormality within the medial femoral condyle and medial plateau which suggest a anterior cruciate ligament tears.Looks like a tear from the femoral attachment which has re-adhered. ( These are the main things, you would have to read the rest of it to get anything else I did not mention here.)
I read on another site regarding knee injuries that a ACL tear won't heal completly by itself. I have had this pain, so I figure this injury is about a year or more old. I have constant pain, some pain worse than other days. my knee has not locked on me, but it hurts a lot when sitting, and even more when lying down then standing. I get a sharp stabbing pain sometimes otherwise it is a deep aching bone type ache, feels like the flu in your knee. It is also hard or hurts more to walk down stairs or downhill. I have never gone to the dr. for this, so of course I never used ice. I have soaked in a really hot tub of water as heat allways helps with my back . Also since this knee pain, my left hip is getting very painful, which I never had a problem with before.
Now that I have the results of my MRI , I can get a referral to see an Orthopedic dr. to see what he thinks. In the meantime, can anyone tell me what they think about my injury to my knee, and how do Dr.s deal with torn ACL or an injury like myne? What can I expect? I am tired of being in pain and am glad that I finally got this MRI. I knew my knee had been hurt somehow, that it wasn't just my imagination, I only wish I could have seen a dr. sooner. Is my injury too old to do anything about? Please anyone can you give me any ideas at all? Some answer is better than none at all! thank you. fluffypurrcat