Knee hit with sharp object - please help!

[anthonyl1212]

So this is how I injured my left knee:

Walking in my room, I hit my left knee against my metal bedpost. Not an ordianry bed post - put the tips of both index fingers together - see the sharp point it makes? - thats what my bed post looks like. So that sharp edge went square into the area just right and a little below center of my knee cap.

This was a year ago. At first it would hurt and lockup and if I walked to long it felt like a knife was jabbed in it.

Now all those symptions are gone. It doesn't hurt at all when I walk but acts up if I just start running a little

Last month:

First Doctor: After seeing MRI - "You tore a thin piece of your meniscus - need surgery"

Second Doctor: "Your other doctor is a quack - you didn't tear your meniscus. Do physical therapy for a month and it should be fine"

I have since been laid off and no longer have insurance


Does anyone have any idea what I might have hit/torn that is causing my knee to act up when I run even the slightest bit? Is it the patellar tendon?

Any comments/advice is much appreciated! Thanks!

[John42]

Dont leave it any longer - go and see an alternative Orthopaedic Consultant - the problem will not go away.

[gigi67]

ummm a question: Did the 2nd doctor also view your MRI?  while doctor opinions are certainly not infallable an MRI on the other hand tends to show everything that is inside the knee...granted they can be misinterpreted sometimes but that doesnt happen alot. HAs the doctor shown you the MRI where the torn meniscus is and have you read the MRI report yourself? also is either doctor an OS? Have you been RICE ing it? Ibuprofen doesnt require a script, and elevation and ice are both free as well. If your laid off you can afford to rest it up for a few days , ice 20  minutes every two hours, take ibuprofen several times per day for a while, BUT ask your dr to show you the mri or at least request a  copy of the mri report  and read it yourself.  DId either dr give you any ideas on how to treat your symptoms?

[luckygrandma6]

I agree with gig67. You are  quite vague in your description. If you don't have insurance aren't there any free clinics you can go to. The US is filled with them plus our hospitals are not allowed to turn anyone down for ability to pay. It's unconstitutional. I know the UK is different and many other countries, but also in those countries medical insurance is paid through the government. If running is the only thing that causes a problem, maybe you shouldn't do it for awhile. It could be aggravating it and with running your knees take a beating and a lot of impact is put on them. I'm sure you couild work something out to pay the doctor a little at a time.

[Heffelz8]

I have to agree with the previous posts.  I will also add that you can perform your own physical therapy.  Nothing straining though.  You do not want to injure yourself any further.  Find exercises that you can do on your floor without the use of gym equipment.  Strengthen your quad, thigh, hip flexor, calf and butt.  Building up the muscle tissue may aid in the recovery standpoint, but it isn't an overall cure.
     You do absolutely need to find another Dr.  A knee specialist.  Yes, it may not be cheap, however do you feel like you want to live with chronic knee pain knowing that you could have fixed it earlier?  I've been in pain for 2 years because I listened to 1 Dr. and never got a second opinion.  See the same Dr. who told you your meniscus was torn and ask him to show you on the MRI.  Also, ask him if there is any other way to interpret the information on the MRI.  As the previous posts suggest, it's not likely that somebody can miss-read and MRI however, it is possible to see an injury differently.  That is, every Dr. diagnoses differently.  It, after all, is the Dr's opinion.  When all is said and done, get that 2nd or 3rd opinion and go with the Dr. that you feel you can trust.  I hope this helps, best of luck!