Collateral Ligaments and other non-cruciate tendons & ligaments around the knee :
Torn Quad Muscle or Tendon??? Please Help : - - Posted by susanrdh (susanrdh), 2 January 2005
Hello all,
I am dealing w/a real difficult situation now 11 days post-op from a Diagnostic Arthroscopy & Lateral Meniscus debridement of my right knee. I have a very long & complicated hx with my knee and this most recent surgery did show a huge problem, Posterolateral Corner Deficiency in which I've had symptoms for a long time and the most recent trauma I experienced was a MVA in Feb. 04' where I had a hard dashboard injury to my already twice reconstructed knee. Anyhow, I will need attention to the PLC soon. BUT....now I had a very bizarre injury just 2 days ago on New Year's Eve when I was walking into the grocery store and a worker who was moving a very heavy skid down the walkway collided with my right leg and was jammed high above my patella along the central right area of my quadricep muscles. The pain I felt was incredible and could not move my leg for a few minutes. I then limped into the store and the manager talked w/ me. I sat down for a few minutes and placed some ice on my leg. I had lots of pain throughout the night afterwards and was hoping to GOD that I did not do any damage to my leg.
I have a HUGE bruise along the right side of my quad muscle and the area is indeed still very painful. Walking produces pain as does just sitting or laying. I had started PT the day before this incident to strengthen my quads to prepare for my upcoming Posterolateral Corner / LCL Reconstruction. I have pain as I do my straight leg raises. I'm thinking I've just bruised my Quad muscles (HOPEFULLY) but I don't know. I've read about many people who have torn their Quad muscles by a fall but can a Quad muscle be torn from a traumatic hit to the area such as from the skid that rammed into my leg?
I am really upset that this even happened because I think this injury is definately going to impact my current PT strengthening & upcoming major surgery. I have my lower thigh wrapped in an ace bandage for some compression, hopefully to reduce the pain. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thank you and Happy New Year to all.
Susan
Posted by KJ (KJ), 3 January 2005
Susan
Is that the Susan that I met in Cincinnati? If so does that mean that you had a posterolateral corner injury all along?
I'm not sure that can answer your questions on the quads problem. I would have thought that you would be unlikely to tear it with a direct blow although that might damage some of the superficial muscle causing the bruising you describe.
What are you having done to your PLC? 15 months ago I had my ACL and PCL reconstructions revised (they had failed because my PLC had not been dealt with) along with posterolateral reconstruction and advancement. (using allograft patella tendon) together with an osteotomy.
It has taken me a year to recover from this surgey (and I'm still improving) but I now after 3 1/2 years have a stable knee. I had lots of surgeons tell me that there wasn't anything wrong with my PLC but the 2 multiligament experts that I saw thought that I had gross instability and that has been borne out by the huge improvement since it has been dealt with.
So good luck, it is definitely worth having done, my knee feels totally different now - the "sloppiness" and inability to take even a step without thinking how to place my leg has completely disappeared and I don't need any sort of brace now.
Go for it
Jane
Updated Sun Sep 7 2008