Can internal derangement cause knee pain after injury?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am experiencing a pulsing sensation in my knee, and I had a knee injury about a year ago that I never got checked out, so I am wondering if they are connected. The first time I injured it, I was skipping and I tripped and rolled. I could not get it checked out because I was on a school trip with no healthcare nearby. By the time I got home, it was not as serious, so I decided I would try to see if it would go away on its own. It did sort of; for the first few months, I always had the pain, but I just sort of ignored it. Afterward, it started to go away, but I still get occasional pain. Currently, I am experiencing a pulsing sensation in my knee and am wondering if I should go get it checked out.

Please advise.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Yes, you should go and get it checked. It could be what is called an internal derangement of the knee, either a meniscal tear or a ligament sprain. Therefore, it should be evaluated with X-rays and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan. Obtain X-rays for both knees (AP and lateral views) and an MRI scan of the left knee. Proceed with these tests and follow up with or show the results to an orthopedist near you.

I suggest you take the following tablets:

Tablet Ibuprofen 400 mg twice daily for 10 days after food.
Tablet Rabeprazole 20 mg once daily for 10 days before food.
A calcium and vitamin D3 supplement once daily for 30 days before food.
Vitamin D3 supplements once daily for 10 days, then once a month for 11 months.

Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her, and take the medicines with their consent. Take these tablets only if you are not allergic to them. Do not take these tablets if you have a known case of bronchial asthma.

I suggest you follow a few guidelines:

Activities that cause pain should be avoided temporarily.
If the knee is swollen or sore, the following positions and activities should be avoided until knee pain and swelling resolve such as squatting, kneeling, twisting and pivoting, jogging, aerobics, dancing, and playing sports.
You should wear a knee cap for support to the knee joint - wear it all day and you can remove it at night.
Apply ice packs twice daily for 15 minutes each.

This professional advice provided by me stands subject to the actual examination of the report or image and is based entirely on inputs provided to me. It should be correlated with clinical findings.

Thank you.