Thursday, June 18, 2009

Knee report

I got an MRI for my knee, since that was what the doctor recommended and I was still bitching and moaning about being injured, and the results finally came in. Luckily its not a torn meniscus, which is what the doctor thought it might have been. Those require surgery, so I'm pretty relieved. The MRI says its a bone bruise, which apparently are like the common cold - they can be mild, moderate, or severe. I gather the severe ones are often associated with ACL tears, as the tendon can't hold the bones in the right places and they rub against each other and cause a bruise. In those cases, it lasts for years, and can cause degeneration of the cartilege overlying the bone, so its pretty serious.

My ACL is not torn, and I have a mild to moderate bone bruise, so I don't need to be too worried about the whole degeneration thing. The bruise is on the inner part of the knee on the front weight-bearing part of the thigh bone (there were lots of medical words describing that point, luckily Dr. Bouscaren translated for me). This would explain why the knee hurts when I straighten it completely.

Supposedly, it'll be better in a couple weeks, if it isn't improving or its getting worse, they'll have to do arthroscopic surgery, which I'd rather avoid. Its already probably 80% better than when I initially hurt it, which translates to being able to bike and rollerski, but no running yet. I'm allowed to run once I can do it pain-free and with no pain afterwards. He did think hill bounding would be ok... =)

My mental outlook is considerably sunnier right now than a couple days ago. I feel a little like I dodged a bullet. Body, do you think we can cooperate now and get back to getting super ski-fit? Thanks!

3 comments:

Big Bikes said...

Dude, I know how you feel dude.

Stupid body, be more indestructible!

k.d. jospe said...

glad spirits sunnier. THAT part we can modify, when the parts that are supposed to be indestructible aren't cooperating... and no arthro. surgery no, no, no if possible. One of my friends did a stupid thing on the basketball court and had it and the pain is indescribable. You could ask Sarah Hall also about knee stuff -- she tore her acl twice.
Hill bounding OK? Why do I think that sounds harder on the body than running? Anyway, keep up your spirits... xoxoxo

Jamie said...

Alex, give it time to heal and do other stuff for a while. I couldn't run for a year after my knee problem, which was way more serious than yours and so I went back to my athletic roots and swam a lot and darned if my ski season wasn't pretty decent!