Did I dislocate and what should I do?

I am also after help with this topic. I am 16 and my mother when she was my age had her knee operated on, as she was constantly dislocating her knee. Last year i 'dislocated' my knee 3 times in one day. I at the time didn't know this is what i was doing. Everytime i sat on my legs so my feet where under my backside this would happen. I was rushed to the public hospital (we dont have private insurance), but was never examined properly. Some overworked docter poked my knee a few times and fitted me with a splint. He said to keep it on for 6 weeks and i'd be fine. The day i took it off i 'dislocated' my knee again. We once again went to the hospital and her prescribed physiotherepy. After a few weeks of treatment the phisiotheripist said to stop comming, that it wasn't helping and never would. By this time mum was getting annoyed and payed for me to see an excellent private surgeon. He spent some time with me, and looked at some xrays and fitted me with a smaller brace, that didn't restrict movement but was supposed to stop me dislocating my knee. When i was little i had also seen him, complaining of pain and my knee getting 'stuck'. He opperated on me and removed a plica. I was too young at the time and only faintly remember it, but what i do remember was similar to what was happining to me now, just in the opposite leg. About a year passed after my 'dislocations' and i was fine, it hadn't happened again. I was able to sit on my legs again and had even taken up martial arts. Then last week i 'dislocated' it again. I have looked up a little information of pica's and the symptoms seem to fit me more than that of dislocation. At the moment docters are getting ready to book me in for surgery to have my leg opperated on, a reconstruction or something. Im not to sure on the details as we have talked to many surgeons each recomending a differant procedure, but all involving surgery, and long recovery times. One guy even wanted to take a peice of my pelvis and put it in my knee. Mum has had her's opperated on when she was younger and dosen't know what they did to her either as she can't remember too well. As i have already gone through the plica surgery for my other lef i know the scarring is minimal as its key hole surgery and recovery time is quick. Last time i remember i had mri's and all sorts and it wasn't even that big a deal. Now apparently my bones are sliding and they can't wait to cut me open. I think there wrong, that it's the plica problem again, but no ones really listning to me. No one has ever seen me 'dislocate' my knee as every time it happens im waring long pants. Basically what happems though is sometimes when i sit on my legs, i get this really bad pain and i usually roll over onto my back orsomething. My leg is 'stuck' like that, all tucked up and all. I then grab my leg and force it to straighten and i hear thing big clunk and most of the pain goes away, just a dull ache is left. This time though i have also noticed a band of bruising behing my knee. I have described this the best i can, and hope that someone can help me out. Thankyou. - AJ

Hi, It's so great to read all your stories. I'm a nurse, not an Orthopedic nurse though. I fell on my right knee in Aug 2004. I dislocated my knee. It was an extremely painful process. I had my knee - dislocation supposedly "reduced" by the Orhtopedic Residents ( Drs) in a local Emergency Dept. I then had a follow up appt. with the "big wig" Orhtopedic Surgeon the next day. From there actually it was all downhill.

I had Physio for months +++. When I was visiting my personal trainer at a private health club I had joined, he discovered that my R knee was noticably dislocated ( laterally). I don't know when the dislocation occurred. It certainly was not painful when it happened. The Orhtopedic Dr. knew of this situation. He told me after viewing my Xrays that he would see me in 2 Months.

Frustrated, the Occupational Health Nurse at work referred me to a great Orthopod. He performed a
"Lateral Realease" on my R knee. This has helped somewhat. However, my R patella is not "tracking" very well therefore it makes walking a challenge. Going upstairs as usual is out of the question. I'm now going to a Physio recommended by this Orthopod. I'm now being told that because I'm "slightly" knock kneeded" perhaps I'm physiologically a tad "predisposed" to my mishap. This revelation is so OK with me actually. I now don't feel that I was such a clutch in falling. However, the "knockknee" issue may impede my recovery. I'm told that people who have a tendency toward " Knockkneeism"...whatever that looks like are challenged keeping their patellas in place once they dislocate.

I guess my question is that given the time - 1 yr., plus the impact of the changes in mobility upon my life i.e. not driving etc...what's the future hold for me? I'm seriously contemplating asking for a TTT. Everyone I know thinks this is pretty drastic. Yet, how much more painful can a TTT be than a traumatic dislocation? Presently, I have no pain in my knee joint.

Any advice I can receice would be wonderfully helpful. Thanks, Marianne Email as follows
mariannewilson@yahoo.com

Hi, it's possible you may have dislocated your kneecap. It may have been a subluxation rather than dislocation. In a patella dislocation the kneecap (patella) moves completely outside of the knee joint. For a subluxation, the kneecap moves out of position but not completely outside the knee joint. Knees can pop and click for reasons other than sub/dislocations. You should get it checked out by a doctor, and a specialist (orthopaedic) if you continue to have problems. In the meantime, rest it as much as possible, keep it elevated as much as possible, keep it supported as much as possible, and ice it (with cloth between for maximum of ten minutes or until the skin becomes red) if there is any swelling. If you have dislocated it, you will have probably also strained/ torn the ligaments which help to hold your kneecap in place. Your knee will probably swell significantly if it hasn't already. There may also be bruising which may come out a day or a couple of weeks later. Usually after a patella dislocation, the kneecap will be immobilised so your leg can't bend (rigid brace or plaster...) for a period of weeks (varies usually around 6). It is possible it was a "minor" (I know, the pain didn't feel "minor") subluxation and the doctors may not brace it or put you on crutches. If it subluxed or dislocated, you increase your chances of it happening again - so try and be really careful walking on slippery surfaces, slopes and all twisting/ pivoting actions. Keep wearing your knee support until the joint feels strong again. It is also worth seeing a physiotherapist (US Physical Therapist) because they can determine whether exercises will help strengthen your knee joint. Because you have injured the knee, you should see someone before doing any exercises so you don't cause any further damage. Hopefully this will be a one-off injury for you and you will continue leading a very active life without further problems. Hope this is useful. E-mail me if you want. Liana.