Member of the Month

PartyBullshiit
March, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

MCL? Help?

profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
disclaimer: i am going to go see a doctor. just wondering your guys' opinion.

long story short, i hurt my knee skiing today.
my ski got caught in hard pack, twisted, and i heard a definite pop.
the pain is not terrible but there is a bit of pain.
i can put pressure on it pretty well.
i can bend it past 90 degrees, just slowly cuz it's still a bit swollen after icing.
basically any twisting movement hurts the inside of my right knee.

help is appreciated.

Apr 11 2009 7:07PM
0 0
profile picture
Billups
Posts: 3960 - Karma: 329
Could also be a meniscus. I tore mine and I have pretty much everything you describe.
Apr 11 2009 7:18PM
0 0
profile picture
GhostfaceKillah
Posts: 3398 - Karma: 10
could be a slight tear of the ACL.... worst case scenario. If it were a full tear you'd be experiencing a lot of pain. My little bro played football and skied on a partially torn ACL for 2-3 years before a doc diagnosed it.

Go get an MRI, it's the only way you'll know for sure. Your doctor will probably tell you he needs the swelling to go down before he knows for sure whats wrong.
Apr 11 2009 7:19PM
0 0
profile picture
sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
i tore my meniscus and experienced everything you described..
pain on the inside of the knee, weight bareable, and cannot bend.... go see a doc quick, a meniscus is somthing you dont want to have taken out, trust me
Apr 11 2009 7:45PM
0 0
profile picture
LoLo913
Posts: 600 - Karma: 29
 is it giving out on you? does it feel like your tibia is moving or pivoting away from your femur?

the fact you can put weight on it is a good sign, meaning it may not be something a serious as an acl
Apr 11 2009 10:55PM
0 0
profile picture
ko.
Posts: 453 - Karma: 17
sounds like you need some 4biHelp
Apr 11 2009 11:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Triple_Strum
Posts: 6382 - Karma: 946
It could be an MCL for sure.  I partially tore mine, and described the same symptoms.  The MCL is generally right in the middle of the side of your knee.  Meaning, if you are laying your leg up on a table when sitting down and the inside of your knee is facing up, then it is in center, right over in the joint of the femur and tibia - it runs right over the bone.  Definitely keep icing it and don't use it until you get an MRI
Apr 11 2009 11:05PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
so, i went to the ER earlier.
as far as they could tell it is most likely a torn meniscus and at least strained MCL.
im so glad my ACL is fine.
I'll be going to an orthopedic surgeon on monday.
does meniscus/MCL combo usually require surgery?
Apr 12 2009 5:01AM
0 0
profile picture
sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
yep i tore mine and needed surgery... if you tear your meniscus further in than 5mm or so it cannot heal and will need to be removed, so yeah you will need surgery and hope it heals up.. coz you dont want to lose your meniscus coz then you will find skiing very painful
Apr 12 2009 5:12AM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38

I am not stoked to hear that.
Please tell me whats it like?
how the surgery?
how longs the healing process?
have you gotten over it by now?
stronger/ weaker than before?

any one else whos gone through it is welcome to comment as well.

Apr 12 2009 12:44PM
0 0
profile picture
killabees
Posts: 8558 - Karma: 494

i just tore my mcl completely, it doesnt seem like thtas what you did because i couldnt put weight on it after it happened, and couldnt really bend it.  as far as mcl's, you usually dont need surgery for them, but im not sure about meniscus.  keep in mind your doctor could always be wrong, mine told me i tore my acl, mcl and meniscus, but it came back as a grade 3 tear of my mcl.  d

Apr 12 2009 12:53PM
0 0
profile picture
LoLo913
Posts: 600 - Karma: 29
if your meniscus is just torn that is an easy surgery and not too long of a recovery. if it has to be removed that is bad becuase it is the shock absorbing pad in your knee and will lead to long term problems
Apr 12 2009 4:17PM
0 0
profile picture
sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
surgery was easy, half an hour... hurt like fuck for the first 2 days i might say.... after that its 6 weeks healing, taking it easy and shit, then another 6 weeks rehab for strengthening to make sure you dont tear it again.... if you rehab right, after 3 months your knee will be as good as new and doesnt make your knee any more vunerable for tears in the future!
im still getting over it, surgery was like 3 weeks ago, so iv started easy rehab on a stationary bike, just spinning for 30 mins a day
Apr 12 2009 5:49PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
alright, so i have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on wednesday but i guess i have one question.
so today is monday and the injury happened on saturday. for those of you have had meniscus/ possibly mcl injuries, how long did it hurt after the injury. it still hurts when i put weight on it wrong but it is definitely improved since saturday. i have been prescribed lortab and ibuprophen but i havent even needed to take either.
anyone with experience?
Apr 13 2009 1:59PM
0 0
profile picture
Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,018
no you are wrong and you don't know what you are talking about. full tear there's barely any pain because the nerve is not connected anymore, its the least painful "big" injury there is. don't guess what happens when you don't know what you are talking about
Apr 13 2009 2:54PM
0 0
profile picture
sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
when i tore my meniscus i did it really bad, i tore the meniscus off the bone and lodge it inbetween my knee bone... so we will have different feelings there... but it was over a month befor i got surgery, and about 2-3 it was feeling pretty good, i could never straighten it tho coz of the displacment....

the day befor i tore it off, i tore the cartilage, i got stuck in a tree well, heard it pop etc etc, just like you.... i could weight bare it that night, and skid the next morning... so yeah the pain is bareable kinda quick, but be sure to take it seriously, you dont wana do what i did
Apr 13 2009 5:17PM
0 0
profile picture
Pman13a
Posts: 3800 - Karma: 451
yo nate

my doc thought my knee was just sprained for 3 or 4 weeks untill it was still hurting at that time. So after that we got an MRI and I had a acl and meniscus tear.  If there is any doubt I would get an MRI so they can see exactly what is wrong.

My tear barely swelled up at all, i saw the doc the day of, and he told me i didnt tear anything, he took xrays that day also that didnt show crap
Apr 13 2009 8:25PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
yea, im working on getting one as soon as possible.
like i said earlier, i have an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon (now moved to wednesday).
hopefully ill be able to set up the mri then if not the same day.
Apr 13 2009 8:28PM
0 0
profile picture
Schoening
Posts: 14332 - Karma: 1,266
My guess is either a MCL sprain either level 1 or 2.

I just recently sprained my MCL skiing and 2 weeks later I was back playing soccer. I had my knee taped everytime and made sure I iced immediatly after practice. My left foot sucked to pass with because it still put strain on the MCL and its still not 100% but as far as skiing it was fine after 3-4 weeks.
Apr 13 2009 8:31PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
i just thought i would update because im stoked as hell.
turns out what they thought was torn meniscus (because of swelling) was actually just a chunk of bone chipped of the inside of my knee bone.
my mcl is torn but not all the way through so both will heal on there own
so pumped i dont need surgery!

i saw this in the orthopedic surgeons office today but i think it applies.

thanks to everyone for for helping me out it my time of "kneed"

lulz
Apr 21 2009 1:07AM
0 0
profile picture
sick-as-aids
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,007
sick dude, stoked for you....
your a very lucky kid, hope you know that, im in rehab right now and it sucks ass
Apr 21 2009 1:48AM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
i have one more question.
i know i read somewhere (either here or TGR) but i cant seem to remember. is there some kind of drink that is used for re-gaining ligament strength?
like i said, i know i read it somewhere, so does anybody know about this?


Apr 26 2009 8:53PM
0 0
profile picture
LoLo913
Posts: 600 - Karma: 29
hmmm i don't know. but glucosamine and condronthin supplements help with the viscosity of your joints, and msm and b6 helps with inflammation
Apr 26 2009 10:06PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
the first one you mentioned, glucosamine, seems to ring a bell. I will have to do a bit of research on it.
so, you say it is for joints? not for ligaments?

on second thought, it was tgr where i saw this. unfortunately i dont think i understand their search bar considering there are endless threads in the gimp forum about knees and MCL's specifically but searching "MCL" brings up nothing. i guess help with that may also be helpful.
Apr 26 2009 10:50PM
0 0
profile picture
GhostfaceKillah
Posts: 3398 - Karma: 10
glucosamine is good for joints, and so is fish oil.
Apr 27 2009 10:35AM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
i guess i dont understand. is that good for joints in general or what? will it be beneficial to my MCL?

i have another question i have for those of you who have any sort of experience. so i am supposed to stray away from any intense physical activity for 6-8 weeks according to the doc (injury occurred on april 11th). i have been longboarding and mountain biking fairly constantly ever since about a week after the injury occured. so the question is this: there is a rail jam back in my home town of milwaukee happening on the 16th of may (about 4 1/2 weeks since the injury) that i really want to attend if possible. good or bad idea? again, my knee feels pretty good, and i have a really nice donjoy bending brace that i am very comfortable with.

thanks again for all the help.
Apr 27 2009 9:22PM
0 0
profile picture
LoLo913
Posts: 600 - Karma: 29
if you have strong quads, that should be enough to support you while your knee is healing. If it's not catching or anything and feels strong, you could go for it. you just have to realize the your knee is not 100% and you risk doing further damage, most commonly damaging your meniscus.
Apr 27 2009 9:42PM
0 0
profile picture
Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,018
yo if you feel 100% and can do it with the brace go for it, if you dont, don't go for it because one rail jam aint worth next season. also depends how much $$ you can win and if you are gonna win it or not.
Apr 27 2009 9:49PM
0 0
profile picture
ScubaSteveFather
Posts: 555 - Karma: 574
When is this rail jam haven't heard about it and i live in brookfield like 25 min from milwaukee thx for answering cause i really wanna go haven'y skied in like 3 weeks it sucks
Apr 27 2009 10:27PM
0 0
profile picture
Franny
Posts: 3980 - Karma: 77
A good trick my doc showed me when i sprained my mcl was always keep my leg extended. Usually when i sat in class with my knee bent i couldnt stand or put pressure on it for like a minute. Apparently when you bend your knee and keep it bent the ligament contracts and settles in. If you keep it extended it helps the alingment of the ligament and helps for more effective healing.
Apr 27 2009 10:32PM
0 0
profile picture
nathanielstyza
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 38
check the nordic jam thread in the regional. it was moved to that date.

and by the way, dont ever fucking jack my thread again (just kidding, no worries).

Apr 27 2009 11:02PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4)