Possible knee/leg surgery(?)

[McLaren]

Well, today, I'm off to another doctor's checkup and X-Ray to see if I will need some sort of surgery.
To elaborate, I play Basketball a lot these past couple months, and for the past 4 weeks, I've noticed that my "After-Workout" sores in my legs are getting worse, and hanging around longer.

Just last week, after a 45 minute game, I noticed that right behind my knee, I got a pain that felt like a pinch everytime I walked, which caused me to limp for about an hour. The usually sores though come in the knees which seem normal, the ankles, and sometimes, the hips, and the pains sometime last for over an hour.

Well, I know now something isn't right when my sores are causing me to limp after a good hour of basketball every so often, or that sometimes, after laying down, and getting up, my bones will "pop" (the sound when you stretch).

Anyways, my first doctor heard all this, and in his words, "That's not normal. Sounds like you may have some kind of fracture or a couple bones that need to be looked at very closely." He's recommend, I have X-Rays done at Richardson Hospital, which I will, and that I probably should not play anymore B-Ball until everything is declared ok, and probably not to jump or run around a lot. He thinks my bones may also just be "growing" or something. I don't speak doctor too well.

So, really, do any of you have any experience in knee/leg surgery, should I have it, or anything I should really watch out for in this kind of situation? I'm not too afraid, but I know it's certainly something I am concerned about.

 

[Omnis]

Getting your knee replaced will set you up for future surgeries. Once the doc removes your cartilage, you'll be boned (lol, pun) without an optimally working artificial knee. In other words, the cartilage won't grow back. Knee surgery is very serious. I think you should only even consider it as a last resort when the pain is too great for your to cope with.

If you're sore and stuff, your ligaments might just be inflamed. That's probably not very good either. I would take an NSAID and use ice, and keep going to the doctor to monitor what's going on down there. Don't forget to do further research as well.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Bah knee surgery is a bitch. I know a few people that have had issues.

Just hope that it's nothing to serious, and rest is always the most important things with knees from what I've heard.

 

[McLaren]

Getting your knee replaced will set you up for future surgeries. Once the doc removes your cartilage, you'll be boned (lol, pun) without an optimally working artificial knee. In other words, the cartilage won't grow back. Knee surgery is very serious. I think you should only even consider it as a last resort when the pain is too great for your to cope with.

If you're sore and stuff, your ligaments might just be inflamed. That's probably not very good either. I would take an NSAID and use ice, and keep going to the doctor to monitor what's going on down there. Don't forget to do further research as well.

Well, this is a lot more serious then .

I'll probably do the latter for now should anything come up this afternoon.

 

[zoxxy]

Ah, knee injuries suck so bad. But the popping noise probably isn't a part of the problem, since 96.7% of all my joints sound snap, crackle and pop every time I wake up, sit down, stand up etc., and I'm pretty much problem free.

Let's hope that you won't need a surgery.

 

[Mrs. Famine]

If the X-rays don't show anything, then you may be referred for an arthroscopy, basically a camera inserted into your knee to see what's going on.
Sometimes there can be a teeny bit of bone floating about which causes the pain and can be easily removed, or there might be a small tear which can be rectified quickly. An arthroscopy is a relatively minor procedure and if you are referred for one, don't panic

Keep taking the NSAIDs as already mentioned and you can pair these with a painkiller such as paracetamol for better pain relief. If necessary, take them prior to training if you know there is going to be pain afterwards.

 

[Dave A]

A colleague of mine has had several operations on his knee. He used to play basketball and was quite promising but he was involved in a car crash and that's what screwed his knee up and he's never played professionally since. Regardless of how it happened he's had a lot of tests and operations on his knee and I would be more than willing to ask him on Tuesday if he can shed any light on your situation if you wanted.

 

[a6m5]

I also think that there might be small bone fragments in the joint. If the pain was caused by fracture, I'd think the pain will start while you are playing.

I know so many people with bad knees. My boss who I've been playing ball with for a decade now, he finally had to go in for surgery few years back.

Keep us updated, McLaren.

 

[McLaren]

If the X-rays don't show anything, then you may be referred for an arthroscopy, basically a camera inserted into your knee to see what's going on.
Sometimes there can be a teeny bit of bone floating about which causes the pain and can be easily removed, or there might be a small tear which can be rectified quickly. An arthroscopy is a relatively minor procedure and if you are referred for one, don't panic

Keep taking the NSAIDs as already mentioned and you can pair these with a painkiller such as paracetamol for better pain relief. If necessary, take them prior to training if you know there is going to be pain afterwards.

Well, the X-Rays didn't show anything, thankfully, but I was given painkillers and told to not put a lot pressure on my legs. The doctor reccommended a second X-Ray for some reason, so I'll have that done Tuesday.

I do have a feeling though, that I will be taking that arthroscopy sometime.

 

[McLaren]

Just to put a small update on this.

I did not get the X-Ray done Tuesday, obviously. Apparently, my retarded doctor decided to call in 'sick' Tuesday, and will be gone til' Monday.

So, the X-ray will be done Saturday....But if that's not worse, I've now broken the toe next to my little toe on my left foot after someone left some freaking sprinklers out in the middle of sidewalk in the cracks with just enough coming up to trip over. Needless to say, I trip, and toe is broken. D*mn....

I guess the only way it could be worse is by Dave telling me they don't fix broken toes.

 

[Sureboss]

They don't bother with toes, afaik they let them heal by themselves.

 

[Mrs. Famine]

Ugh, you're not having much luck at present, are you?

Sueshot is quite right, they don't do anything with toes usually but go and get it looked at. If the fracture is severe, it can send the bones out of kilter and it can heal incorrectly which will cause no end of problems in future.
Most toe fractures are straight forward but Sod's law dictates that the one you leave and don't get checked will be the one you wish you had.

 

[McLaren]

Ugh, you're not having much luck at present, are you?

Sueshot is quite right, they don't do anything with toes usually but go and get it looked at. If the fracture is severe, it can send the bones out of kilter and it can heal incorrectly which will cause no end of problems in future.
Most toe fractures are straight forward but Sod's law dictates that the one you leave and don't get checked will be the one you wish you had.

I actually did have it checked out today. They said it'll heal fine in a couple weeks, and gave me some painkillers.

As for the X-Rays, GTPlant was right. They reccommend I have an arthroscopy, but they want to me to do it all the way in downtown Dallas at Baylor.

So, I guess it's not too bad. They did say though, that it looks like some of the bones in my ankle look 'bruised' as they said, but that that was nothing too serious.

 

[Dave A]

I guess the only way it could be worse is by Dave telling me they don't fix broken toes.

They don't fix broken toes . Your toe will heal just fine over time, just don't go kicking more sprinklers with it in the mean time.

Keep us upto date with the knee though, when you get the arthroscopy done let us know the result. Hopefully it's something relatively minor. I get a lot of problems with my left ankle, I damaged that when I was 16 and didn't get it checked out, it causes me a lot of discomfort in the winter. I'm still mobile on it but it has a tendency to ache a lot after a game of football or a long walk ect and it doesn't have as good mvment as my right ankle. Hopefully your knee is nothing as serious but regardless, being patient and waiting for the tests and everything is the right thing to do to avoid problems coming up at a later date.