Is there a doctor in the house?

[Meetball]

Boat related question here, kinda lol. I was wake surfing this past weekend and while getting up I had a pop occur in my left knee. At this point it is swollen and i can walk on it but I have a very bad limp. I am starting to think its a possible torn meniscus as I cannot bend my knee. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to kinda wait it out and see if it is just a sprain or torn without an mri? What options do I have?

 

[hamsammy]

You can sort of do a test to see if it's a ligament tear pretty easily. Put all your weight on the good leg and support your body with a wall/chair or something. Lift your bad leg up in the air with your knee bent 90° (sort of like the karate kid pose without your hands in the air). Move your foot to the inside and if it the knee feels wobbly, that would likely be a sprained MCL. Move to the outside and it could be a PCL, front/back would likely be ACL. I'm not a doctor by any means, but I did recently stay at a Red Roof Inn.

 

[Julian]

I went through a similar thing....knee popped while surfing, hurt like hell. Made an appt with ortho (had to wait 2 weeks), went in and he says "only way to know for sure is an MRI" (which on my insurance, I was going to have to pay for - $850).

I said, "well how long until it would get better if it was a sprain?"

He says "another 2-3 weeks, if it isn't better then its likely damaged".

So I waited 2 weeks and it got better. My fall back was to get the MRI on one of my trips to India (and only pay $50 for it!)

 

[Scuba_ref]

Rub some dirt on it!

 

[Meetball]

@Julian

I think im gonna try your way for a bit, I have someone at work that is gonna give up some crutches and give it 2 weeks. If its not better Ill schedule for mri as insurance doesnt cover anything anymore......

 

[Julian]

@Julian

I think im gonna try your way for a bit, I have someone at work that is gonna give up some crutches and give it 2 weeks. If its not better Ill schedule for mri as insurance doesnt cover anything anymore......

I wasn't in enough pain to need crutches.....if would say if you are in that much pain, at least make an ortho appointment and deal with the copay on that. If it is totally shot he'll know without an MRI. Mine was either a small tear that repaired itself, or just a sprain.

 

[Meetball]

I wasn't in enough pain to need crutches.....if would say if you are in that much pain, at least make an ortho appointment and deal with the copay on that. If it is totally shot he'll know without an MRI. Mine was either a small tear that repaired itself, or just a sprain.

I thought wake surfing was supposed to be easier on the body?!?!

 

[haknslash]

I thought wake surfing was supposed to be easier on the body?!?!

You can pull a muscle swimming...

 

[Meetball]

You can pull a muscle swimming...

touche!

 

[djetok]

I went through a similar thing....knee popped while surfing, hurt like hell. Made an appt with ortho (had to wait 2 weeks), went in and he says "only way to know for sure is an MRI" (which on my insurance, I was going to have to pay for - $850).

I said, "well how long until it would get better if it was a sprain?"

He says "another 2-3 weeks, if it isn't better then its likely damaged".

So I waited 2 weeks and it got better. My fall back was to get the MRI on one of my trips to India (and only pay $50 for it!)

Just a FYI with MRI and insurance. In September of last year, I hurt my back getting off the boat. After months of going to the doctor, chiro, acupuncture, and er. They finally set an appointment for a MRI. Our part was 1300 dollars, I was like ouch. After a casual conversation with my brother he stated, he had his MRI done for 200 without insurance. My wife called around and found one that I paid $248 dollars without insurance and I was able to get in the next day.

@Meetball If need a MRI, check your cash option as well.

 

[micj]

My money is on a torn meniscus. I had three instances of that on my left knee that needed arthroscopic surgery to clean it out. I am now waiting on a surgery date for a torn meniscus in my right knee. all four had the same pop and burning feeling.

 

[Meetball]

My money is on a torn meniscus. I had three instances of that on my left knee that needed arthroscopic surgery to clean it out. I am now waiting on a surgery date for a torn meniscus in my right knee. all four had the same pop and burning feeling.

this is what I was expecting, I really hoped it wasnt this, sounds like no wakesurfing for the rest of the year, Ill get to try again next year

 

[MidnightRider]

You can pull a muscle swimming...

Hell, once you get into your upper 40s you can pull a muscle sneezing. LOL

 

[micj]

Meniscus surgery (not repair) is about 45 min with a 4-6 weeks to recovery.

 

[F.M.]

Hell, once you get into your upper 40s you can pull a muscle sneezing. LOL

Been there. And I'm only in my 30s.

 

[Meetball]

Meniscus surgery (not repair) is about 45 min with a 4-6 weeks to recovery.

how bad is the scaring after the surgery?

 

[micj]

(External) two 1/2 inch cuts on each side of the knee. (Internal)nothing.

 

[orexismd]

Are you tender over the inner knee or outer knee?

 

[Arcadyus]

how bad is the scaring after the surgery?

dude I can barely even see mine. I blew my mcl and acl dunking at a trampoline park. I snowboarded that entire season and played half a season of summer league basketball before I had enough. I got my mcl repaired only. I can barely see the scar. I have no acl in either knee now.

 

[micj]

For me it was the inner knee due to the tools that where inside my knee and the loss of natural fluid around the joints.