2 years after kneecap dislocation, still no MRI...EXPERTS PLEASE HELP!!!?

PLEASE READ ALL BEFORE ANSWERING:

I'm 21 and after I dislocated my kneecap 2 years ago, I never even been to the hospital or gotten any MRIs, so I have no idea the extent of my damage.
The time I injured my knee, a guy helped me pop it back in and I went straight home, no hospital ever since. My dad built a knee immobilizer for me and I never had physical therapy, just regular workouts.
Now this is where I got REALLY stupid: Last summer I was running ON SAND 3-4 times a week for an hour each time for 2 months. I weighed 125 pounds at the time. After that I stopped running cuz the knee pain got too bad to continue.
Eventually I'll go see an orthopedic surgeon and get an MRI.

For now all I'm curious to know is:

WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD BE WRONG WITH MY KNEE AS THE RESULT OF MY NEGLECT?

And is there any chance for full restoration whether surgical or non-surgical?

Straight answers only please.

PLEASE NOTE: I don't care for a doctor's opinion right now, only yours

um, i believe you guys misunderstood me. I only had a kneecap dislocation ONCE not related to running. it took 2 months to start walking again. a year later, i started running and the pain was related to a ligament or meniscus injury.

Dislocating a knee usually means you have problem with how the kneecap is tracking in the grooves at the end of the thighbone. In some cases, an injury to just the right spot can knock it out of the grooves- in which case it will relocate and heal without problems later. In other cases there is a problem with how it fits in the groves, and dislocation can be a repeated problem. Continued trouble with dislocation can cause chondomalacia- an inflammation of the cartilage pad that separates the bones of the upper and lower leg. In your case, I don't think this is a problem for you. I think you probably have shallow grooves, and being female you would have wider hips- which change the way we balance and stand, and the stress the knees carry. That's one reason it's more a problem with women than men, as well. It can also be related to your shoes and running gait, and how the foot behaves when you walk or run. Running on sand, and I suspect probably barefoot, you likely rotated the foot outward from the arch when you struck. That translates to stress on the knee, and the pain you felt. I can't say what damage you actually did, an orthopedic doctor would need to do an arthroscopy to actually tell you that. It doesn't always require surgery, though. Most often, it doesn't. Physcial therapy helps when it works to stregthen the hip abductors and flexors, pelvic stabilization exercises they are called. They also recommend a pair of motion control walking or running shoes, designed to pad and cushion the foot and prevent outside rolling on foot strike. As long as your kneecap hasn't been dislocated again, and doesn't just dislocate on it's own, you don't likely have a problem with the tendons or cartilage yet- but you have had the warning that it's time to do something to destress the knee. If you don't do that, you will tear and stretch the support ligaments and damage the cartilage, and that can require a surgical repair. And unfortunately, cartilage repairs are still not all that great. A knee brace or immobilizer can make things more comfy, but they don't do anything to actually prevent damage nor will they help it heal really. They just make matters more comfy for you in the meantime. But if you feel better with a brace, support or immobilizer, then you can still use one. But start with investing in a good pair of shoes, if you like running or walking for exercise. You can also consider seeing a podiatrist to evaluate the footstrike, and make suggestions. Problems in the feet often do show up as problems in the knee and hip. It's not so much a matter of restoring things, as it sounds like preventing things from getting to the point it's needed. It doesn't sound like you are there yet, really.

The kneecap slides up and down a groove on the end of the thigh bone as the knee bends. This groove is called the trochlea. The kneecap is designed to fit in the center of this groove, and slide evenly within the groove. In some people, the kneecap is pulled towards the outside of the knee. As this happens, the kneecap does not slide centrally within its groove.

Depending on the severity of the patellar subluxation, this improper tracking may not cause the patient any problems, or it may lead to dislocation of the patella (where the kneecap fully dislocates out of the groove). Most commonly, the tracking problem causes discomfort with activity, and pain around the sides of the kneecap. Patellar subluxation is a condition that usually affects adolescent, and sometimes younger children.

Also called patellar subluxation, patients who experience an unstable kneecap have a kneecap that does not slide centrally within its groove.