medial knee meniscus injury playing basketball

[tompaynter]

Hello all,

I took a funny step playing basketball, felt a sort of pinch on the medial side of my knee, by next morning I couldn't put weight on that leg. Serious pain if I tried. Doesn't feel like a medial ligament strain, feels like a cartilage injury, as best I can tell. Some swelling, not a lot. (Just a funny step, no dramatic collision, twist, buckling, landing from a jump, anything like that.)

Now a couple of days later I can put some weight on it--I can get around on one crutch or hobble a few steps without. The pain is significantly less.

I saw my GP and he tested my ligaments/stability manually and said my knee seemed stable. He prescribed an anti-inflammatory, i.e., prescription-strength Aleve.

1) Would there be any point to seeing an orthopedist and getting an MRI? From what I understand, unless my knee starts locking up, there's no surgical solution.

2) Any advice on prognosis and recovery?

3) Before this acute injury I had noticed a little soreness in my knee in the same area. Did I gradually bring this on, i.e., was the acute injury the final straw in some kind of accumulative process? If so does that change the outlook in terms of what I should do and should expect in the future?

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Tom, how old are you? Has nobody ever counseled you to leave court sports to the kids?

[Martin Shenfield]

I would say given that you have already progressed to one crutch I wouldn't worry so much.

I broke my leg in a similar situation and couldn't walk for months. If you can be on one crutch and bend your leg to good ROM I think you will be fine.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I would get an MRI diagnosis.

[SouthernLifter]

This is a very subjective opinion and I honestly don't know you or your reality and preferences, but *I* would quit basketball and start doing heavy, deep, free squats.

[tompaynter]

I would get an MRI diagnosis.

Considering it but I am not sure what the point would be. It seems very unlikely that there is a surgical fix, as I understand it. So what would be the benefit of an MRI?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Considering it but I am not sure what the point would be. It seems very unlikely that there is a surgical fix, as I understand it. So what would be the benefit of an MRI?

Knowing whether or not there is a surgical fix.

[neilc1]

I see what you did there