MCL Injury

Fell into a creek early season on Rainier. Twisted my knee, heard the popping sound, went to the ortho. He diagnosed grade I sprain (or less) and did not order an MRI due to lack of swelling and good stability. He told me to get on the bike and elliptical and that I should be good to go in six weeks. At the six week mark it was improved but no where near ready for skis. Went back to the ortho and he ordered PT, again no MRI. It's been 8weeks since the injury. I've been in PT for 2 weeks. I still have the occasional bout of sharp pain and a dull constant ache. It still is not ready for skiing. I've got a cat trip to AK in March and I'm starting to get a little nervous. Even if the knee comes around I'm worried about the lack of strength in my quads. Overall, 8+ weeks for a Grade I (or less) strain seems like a long time not to be fully healed. Anyone have a similar experience? Thanks!

see another doc. my first Ortho wasn't able to diagnose my torn ACL with the Lachman and other manipulation tests b/c my knee remained extremely stable and my quads were nearly as wide as this man's waist. Next Ortho i saw resembled sasquatch. 1 lachman test and he looks at me and says "yep, your acl is toast".

im no doc but recurring sharp pain sounds like something more than a mcl sprain.

I agree. Get another POV from another ortho, and make sure its at a different practice.

I did this twice - once on the L knee, once on the R. And in both cases the recovery was accomplished without surgery, but it took 3-6 months to feel like I was back close to 100%.

Also, it took a second opinion to have the confidence to know that by sticking to PT and foregoing surgery I'd be OK. Knowing that the meniscus was driving the discomfort and that the ligament tear was only partial meant that I had the option of trying to heal the ligament first via PT and patience. I could come back to surgery later if things didn't improve and not risk additional permanent damage.

BTW, the decision to order an MRI may be linked to your insurance as much as the doc. Some plans limit their procedures to control cost. Sometimes there's a good global justification for that (they might argue that it doesn't improve outcomes enough to justify the incremental cost, on average...). But it is your knee. So do what you can to get the information you need.

Also, the importance of a good PT probably can't be understated. At least in my personal experience. They offer therapy which is cheaper and less risky than surgery and they seem to know more about the anatomy involved than the docs sometimes (just my lay person's opinion). Its not always the answer, but its a low risk way to get some results for a lot of people.

Good luck!

How old are you?  Age makes a huge difference.  6 weeks recovery when you're in your 20's can be 12 weeks or more in your 40's.  Second opinion never hurts.  PM me if in south sound.

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the insight. Boot, I turned 40 two weeks ago. I've never had a knee injury so I just don't have a feel for whether I'm just progressing slowly or there is an undiagnosed problem. Unfortunately I'm located in SW Washington. Looks like a second opinion is the way to go.

Definitely get a second opinion and check with your insurance company about what they cover. I had a similar symptoms from a fall and it was only a torn meniscus and I was back boarding four weeks after surgery. Not sure what part of SW Washington you are from but consider going north or south for a second opinion.