PICS OF KNEE INSIDE Can you tear a ligament or tendon in your knee from impact?

[soccerchick25]

I recently injured my knee in soccer. I slide tackled for a ball with my leg fully extended and then slammed into the bench on the sidelines (obviosuly they were too close to the feild). It was painful but I got up and walked off the feild. It started to swell and ended looking like I had a grapefruit on the inside of my knee. #1- I am not sure if I injured my knee from the extension or the impact. #2 I can walk on it just fine and went to the emergency room (because of the major swelling) and there were no breaks but he proceeded to tell me with that amount of swelling I probably have a ligament tear.
This morning my knee was still very swollen (even part of my shin) and had a massive bruise. The swelling is so bad that I do not have full ROM in my knee. Is the bruise a good sign that I didn't tear anything and it is just a bruise? Can you rupture a ligament from an impact? Good the extension possibly of been where the injury came from?
Go to this link and you can see the massive swelling and bruising of my knee
http://fourstepfarm.com/knee.html

[Linds]

ewww... Soccer chick those are some pretty grosse lookin pics...  You could have done more than one thing there, you definately could have damaged some ligaments from the extension and also damaged something on impact.  I showed the picture to my Dad and he said.. Medial Colateral Ligament Sprain. But he's just guessing, he was a Human Physiology Masters student in University.
Make sure you are keeping the knee elevated and LOT's and LOT's of ICE!!!! Compression wouldn't hurt either, with an Ace or Tensor bandage.
Bruises could definately be caused by impact but also if something tears, a Bruise is bleeding so it's not the best sign.

Give it a couple of days with REst, Ice, Compression and Elevation ( Elevation means above the level of hte heart) and i'd probably get in to see your doctor.

Linds

[soccerchick25]

Would a bruise cause major swelling? It has now been 48 hours since my injury and I cannot get the swelling down.

[Linds]

Well.. swelling is inflammation... that means something is injured, ticked off.
Do your best at keeping your leg elevated and iced try some ibuprophen (ADvil) for the inflammation unless you have allergies.

48 hours isnt' long into a soft tissue injury.  Keep up with the REst Ice compressiong and Elevation and maybe call your doctors office tommorow.
goodluck

Linds

[soccerchick25]

I went to the athletic trainer yesterday for her to look at it. She said my right knee felt a little loose but that she couldn't tell because I had an avulsion fracture repair in my left knee so it could just be my left is tighter because of the surgery. But, now my swelling has slightly gone down but I am now hot in swollen in the back of my knee. I tried to play soccer on my knee yesterday and every once in a while would get sharp pains running down the inside of my knee. When I got home and tried to go to bed I was having pain in the bad of my knee. Does anyone know what this is a symptom of? I still don't feel instable (I can run on the knee) but it just feels different. I am trying to avoid going to the OS because I don't have insurance. Please help. Also, could all this swelling and bruising be from maybe bursting a bursa?

[munchie]

Hi soccerchick25
I really dont think it is very wise playing soccer so soon after your injury especially as you dont know the extent of the injury.
Take a rest from playing and see how it feels after a few weeks.
If it is an MCL sprain it is usually six weeks rest.

All the best

Munchie

[soccerchick25]

I have seen the OS but I got dumped on his assistant. She said nothing felt loose (but I had massive swelling so I don't think that means anything) and that she could examine me w/ all the bruising and swelling. So she said wait a week and if it gets better wait a few more weeks. The thing is, the swelling is still there but not as big. I flares up w/ activity. the bruising is going away. My knee is very sore after activity but nothing unbearable. ANy ideas of whether I should go back?

[diego22]

i had a similar knee swell..what i did was not play soccer for 2-3 months ...ice it until swell goes away and keep it always elevated...after swell is gone ..use knee braice...

[soccerchick25]

Diego22,
Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your knee?

[diego22]

yeah it was severe sprain...it took 6months at least to heel completely...but that was cuz i did not go to the doctor or did any therapy...after that injury ..i had 2 others but on the other knee ..so i decided to go to the doctor ...so i dont spend 6 months heeling...

if u still have your knee swollen ...keep using ice until u dont have any red or purple marks...

[soccerchick25]

UPDATE. The bruising is gone and swelling is reduced. I still have very "hard" swelling. If I push down on the place of selling in stays for a few minutes, like a mold of my finger. I feel slight pain but not enough to keep my off the soccer feild. Does anyone know what this swelling might be?

[rugbybod]

The swelling is probably fluid around the injury. As mentioned, ice and elevation are probably still best, maybe with some NSAIDs. I wouldn't rush back to the field though. I had an MCL tear from rugby and I was out for about 9 weeks (thankfully it was the last game of the season)

[drparent]

I tore my ACL and meniscus playing soccer. I too wasn't in a great deal of pain when it happened - I was going to finish playing the game in fact. However the next day I woke up and my knee was so swelled and I was unable to bend it completely. I recommend getting a MRI done! You might of tore or sprain a tendon/ligament!

Ice your knee as much as you can and take some kind of anti-inflammatory meds!