Why is there pain above knee after getting hit during go-carting?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am an 18-year-old and went go-carting. I got hit with great force by another cart which caused my inner thigh to hit a pole on the inside of the cart causing great pain. The pain is very sore and at first, I could barely walk. I can gently push the area and feel a lot of pain just above the knee.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for using this platform. It sounds like you had a pretty bad impact on your inner thigh. Luckily, it sounds like you were still able to walk in spite of the pain. This means that there is a very low likelihood that you may have a bony or joint injury. Nevertheless, a blunt impact can cause a bruise (contusion) which may be painful on pressure for quite a few days. You may also have some reddish-blue discoloration in that area. If within 24 to 48 hours, you may use ice to reduce the inflammation. After that, warm compresses (heat packs) may be more helpful in alleviating the pain. If you are not able to bend your knee without extreme pain, you may need to have an X-ray to rule out bony injury. The pain and swelling of a bruise should slowly reduce over the next few days. If the painful area swells and the pain worsens instead of getting better, and if you have a fever, then you should see a doctor immediately to rule out infection. Rarely, there may be a collection of blood inside your muscles, and this collection may get infected. Were you taken to the hospital after this injury? Have there been any X-rays taken since your injury? How many days old is this injury? I will be happy to review your X-rays if you need me to.