Any advice for a ligament or cartlidge injury to a knee?

Over a week ago I fell quite badly with all my weight going against my stance in my knee and hearing a pop and a crunch in my right knee. It jarred up straight away and on diagnosis (without mri) they said it was cruciate or ligament. Has anyone had this done and if so advice on ways to help improve the healing or advice on what their outcome of the injury was. Thanks

First things first, cruciate is a ligament.

Secondly, did the knee swell up immediately after the injury?

If the knee swelled up straight after the injury it sounds to me that you could have torn your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and possibly damaged a mensicus (indicated by the jarring to motion).

Strictly speaking you do not need an MRI to diagnose either of these injuries. An MRI is really only useful to determine the extent of the injury to the ligament or mensicus.

If you have completely ruptured your ACL and are keen to carry on in any high level sports it would probably be best to have surgery to repair it. If your knee locks or gives way continually it may also be best to have surgery to fix things.

However, the partially torn ACL can be managed succesfully when treated conservatively ie. no surgery. It is just a case of strengthening the muscles around the knee so that they can do the job of the torn ligament.

My advice to you just now is to find a good physiotherapist and in the mean time rest the knee, use ice to reduce pain and swelling and keep it elevated and when not elevated wear a compression bandage from midcalf to midthigh.

After the swelling has gone down and the pain has lessened get yourself to a gym and do gentle exercise on a bike and gradually start doing leg extension and leg curls. Also do a lot of work on your proprioception (a type of balance, kind of). Do this by standing on the injured leg and then closing your eyes, once you get better at this progress to an unsteady surface, for example the mattress on your bed.

If you opt for surgery you must be totally dedicated to months of rehab but it is definitely worthwhile if you are suffering for locking of the knee or it giving way, or if you are a high level sports person.

Hope that isn't too confusing and that it helps a bit! Any questions just give me a shout! fizzy_physio@hotmail.com

my soninlaw had it done on both knees as he played football in highschool hes walking aroud good but in his case it was worse they require more surgery

cold be your acl in which case will probably require surgery. i would see about getting an MRI though because then you will know the exact extent of the damage as well as some of ur options. For instance if it is not a cruciate ligament(ACL) then it could be ur MCL which would most likely not require surgery but about 8 weeks of PT.
any knee injury will take a while to heal(about 6-12 weeks)

I injured my MCL about 2 months ago and I am still having moderate to strong pain over the injury site as well as some looseness in the knee. I won't know what the Dr is going to do until i go back on the 28th.
Relax, take it easy and just do what the doc says.

best of luck

what doctor has suggested you to do?
anyway, nutritionally you can consume MSM , Condroithin suplemen, to increase its strenght.

I was hit in my knees a lot growing up. I have the same type of injury. I suggest that you take glucosamine? , calcium, and gluten.
Go to another doctor and get a MRI.

awe. the cruciates are two of the ligaments in your knee. The posterior and anterior cruciate ligaments are in the center of your nkee. and the ACL controls forward motion and the PCL control backward motion. the medial collateral ligament is on the inner side of the knee and the lateral collateral ligament is on the outer side of the knee. the medial and lateral menisci are between the tiba and femur (cartilages in the knee). It sounds like the ACL went on you, but it can be the menisci or the collateral ligaments. also your kneecap may have tried to go out of place. but thats unlikely. Did the knee give way? was the pop within your knee? email me if you want at alianna_hodiya@yahoo.com