Meniscus :

I need some advice - - Posted by kipper (kipper), 20 November 2002

Hi everyone,

Having read my way through a few articles I am now quite worried about my knee.  I'll give you a little background first...I injured my knee while playing football (although it was totally non-contact, all I did was turn around), the left knee made several large snapping sounds and disappeared from under me.  At the time my local A&E was shut (!!! MK General) and I was shipped to an alternate hospital.  I had no x-ray and the attending doctor told me I had a ligament problem, gave me some pain killers and sent me on my way as I couldn't come back to the same hospital for follow up treatment as I lived out of their boundaries.

After visting a doctor I managed to get a referral to an NHS PT (this took 6 weeks before I saw someone), in the meantime I went for a couple of private sessions with a PT as I had vitually no movement of the joint (about 10 degrees) and was totally unable to straighten it.  At this point I was diagnosed with a miniscal tear, unfortunately I couldn't afford to keep private treatment so I waited for the NHS PT.   After finally managing to see a NHS PT after 6 weeks I had a new problem...degeneration of the quads and ACL.  At the first session I was again diagnosed with a miniscal tear and put through to see a consultant.

During the next month I spent a lot of time rebuilding the quad and ACL with weekly PT visits, then I had then cut completely as I was unable to do any more for myself ()  though at this point I had a good range of motion and could stand and move about again.

After seeing a consultant to a consultant I was informed I had a miniscal tear and that an arthoscopy was necessary.

My problem is this I am now nearly 7 months further down the track, I have no date for an operation yet (all enquiries are reached with a maybe after christmas, maybe later response).  I have had no MRI (or X-ray for that matter), my knee is still sore and partially locks and pops and I still can't bend it fully.

All the medical services seem happy to wash their hands of me until I make it up the list at some future point.  From what I have read, early treatment gives the best hope of a full recovery and this is anything but early, and even then I have a 10% chance of not making a full recovery.  I am only 24 and play a high level of cricket and am very worried that I won't be able to play sport competatively again.

If anyone has some suggestions I am more than ready for some advice as I don't seem to be able to get it anywhere else.

thanks

ps I have written a letter of complaint to the local authorities about my initial treatment (when A&E was shut!) and I have had a "very sorry, we had to do it for patient safety" and then been ignored (apparently there weren't enough free beds)
Posted by verdi (verdi), 20 November 2002

I read about your problem.I had a similar situation ,my
right knee went over two years ago playing football, pretty much like yours no contact, foot planted firmly and leg carried on rotating. I had intial sharp pain,fell to the floor in bad pain.I got up and hopped off after about
1 min.The pain subsided and I acutally entered the field of play again but could barley move. I was going on holiday 4 days later so I did not go to see GP,I just thought swelling would go down afetr a few days and I
would be alright.

I was wrong I hobbled all over Disney world for two weeks Swelling was bad.I got back from holiday and went to see gp.To cut a long storey short She thought I might have agrivated my ACL.I was told to rest.After a couple of weeks the knee felt fine, or so i thought.

I stepped off a ladder putting my full weight on to bad leg.I tell you the pain was instant and unbearable I collapsed as if some one had just shot me through the knee. I went to A&E and was examined .The doc thought i Might have pinched my meniscus and she refered me to specialist.

After 1 year I got an appointment to have an arthroscopy .In the meantime I returned to footbal but the knee collapsed twice both times painfull.

My arthrocopy found a torn meniscus and ruptured ACL.
That was over a year ago and I just got my appointment thru from the NHS to have my ACL recon in two weeks. They shaved the cartlidge on the arthroscopy 1st time round.

Since last year I have been playing football but I am always guarded.The knee has wobbled a couple of time but nothing more.

I have been more than two years with the problem and I hope to make a full recovery after my ACL op.I hope to be playing again in about 9 months time.Although I am late 30,s

So I suppose what I am saying is that be patient and carefull they will get round to you in the end.

See ya









Posted by Helena (KTF), 20 November 2002

Kipper,

Xrays are not on the standard protocol list if there's no significant sign of bone damage. Soft tissues can't be seen on an Xray, therefor an MRI of CTscan should be taken. But you should have got some examination and treatment rightaway!

I don't know the NHS system, but it seems to me that it should be reorganized as I mostly hear people complain about it. And the answer you got from the authority is b*llsh*t.

I hope you get some good end effective treatment very soon. Don't give up just yet. H

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