So, apparently my knee dislocates at will now.

[TMG51]

This has been an unforeseen complication. I'm 27 and accustomed to relying on my own able-bodiedness. About ten days ago, I partially dislocated my right knee. It went right back into place but it was sore after and I had a limp for a couple days. I thought that was the end of it until it happened again. It seems to be happening more frequently. The knee only comes out of the socket when I'm squatting it seems. It sounds like it would be easy not to squat but it isn't. It happened twice yesterday and each time took me several minutes to figure out how to get my knee back into place before I could use the leg. One occasion occurred on the sidewalk downtown. It happened that my girlfriend was with me, and I actually had to have her help me hobble to a bench because my leg wouldn't work to support any weight. Once I got it back in place, I limped back to the van and I've been resting the leg. But my knee hurts more now than any other time it came apart. I can walk but have a pronounced limp. And if my knee gives out in public again and I can't hobble back to the van? I didn't see this one coming.

I'm wondering if I should see a doctor or if I'll just end up owing a lot of money for expensive scans that only tell me what's wrong without fixing it.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Well, if you're going to look for free medical advice on the Internet, you're probably better off looking on sites like WebMD than on sites full of homeless, frequently unemployed wanderers.  (Said with nothing but love from a guy who ASPIRES to become a homeless unemployed wanderer!)

Regards
John

 

[johnny b]

there are injuries in the knee that don't heal themselves. i suffered a knee injury in my 30's (before arthroscopic was available)...20 years later i was limping painfully for no apparent reason. Turned out damage from the original injury had shifted around thru the years and required surgery to fix.

my advice.....see a doctor!

remember the Fram oil filter commercial? you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.

if i had a choice.....surgery at 33 years old vs 53, would have been much better.

 

[TMG51]

Well, if you're going to look for free medical advice on the Internet, you're probably better off looking on sites like WebMD than on sites full of homeless, frequently unemployed wanderers.  (Said with nothing but love from a guy who ASPIRES to become a homeless unemployed wanderer!)

Regards
John

I'm really not looking for medical advice, just bringing up the topic as an unforeseen consideration while on the road. And perhaps while hearing experiences others have had with joint injuries.

Thanks Johnny B.

 

[Iggy]

I feel for you on that injury. I wonder if there is a way to build up muscle in that area enough to hold it in place. I used to sprain my right ankle often in my teens until I started weight lifting after I graduated high school.
When I was 22, I fell from the third story on a construction site and landed on concrete, standing up. My right knee hurt but I didn't go to a doctor. I really didn't have much trouble with it for years , playing basketball, running, and hiking. When I was 42, I was unable to run or walk very far anymore and had continual pain. An MRI didn't show anything but the doc decided to do exploratory surgery. Turned out the meniscus pad was shredded and had to be removed. So I've been bone on bone for the last 10 years. I have to continually monitor how it feels. Some days I can go on a couple hour hike, other days (like today) I'm very limited on walking or even standing. Eventually a knee replacement will be required. But I feel that will limit me greatly on living in a standard cargo van. So I keep putting it off.
Good luck on finding a solution. Do what you can on your own but see a doctor if you must. You are too young to have to be constantly worrying if your knee is going to give out at a bad time. Wishing you the best!

 

[SillyLilly]

Ditto the "see a doctor ASAP". Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, but I do have some second-hand experience with this type of injury.

An unstable knee that dislocates frequently can compromise the arteries to your lower leg, causing necrosis (tissue death) and requiring amputation to save your life. Best case is you will develop painful crippling arthritis in that knee at an early age, because of the extra stress and strain on the joint and surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

You most likely have torn one or more of the ligaments that holds the knee together, and this is an injury that will not heal on its own.

In the short term, get one of those hinged knee braces from the drugstore and wear it always, to keep your knee from slipping out of joint. In the longer term, you need to see a doctor and get the injury repaired. The surgery is (relatively) non-invasive (arthroscopic rather than open incision) and recovery is fairly quick if you follow instructions and do the necessary physical therapy. If you're lucky, the torn ligament can be repaired, otherwise it can be recreated with a cadaver graft.

Please don't be one of those people who is too cheap to see a doctor and then suffers later in life with something not as easily fixed as it can be now. ACL repair is nothing compared to a complete knee replacement.

 

[Jana]

Not only see a doctor, but see the best knee specialist you can. Google knee dislocation--all the medical sites mention that necrosis/amputation thing. You'll get PT to build up the muscles to support it, maybe arthoscopic surgery, and do whatever you can to take care of it now and avoid a knee replacement as long as you can. They can even do cool stuff like botox the muscle that's letting it slip out and strengthen tendons by wrapping them in amniotic tissue that will become tendon.

As the Harvard Med professor I went to for the tie-breaking opinion on my knee said, "It's not the first knee replacement that's bad. It's when they replace that replacement that's bad."

 

[Oberneldon]

Yes get a knee brace from drug store then see Dr. I broke my ACL in my left leg and it would pop out - had surgery to fix. It's not perfect but sure glad I did it

 

[Matlock]

Deal with it now. Seriously, get it scanned and a couple opinions then make an informed decision.

 

[Canine]

Knees when they are working perfectly are horribly designed. When creating the knee, it was like God outsourced the knee to a government agency that kept putting in fixes to make a joint that worked instead of scrapping the original crappy idea and starting anew. Bad knees suck soooooo badly. They hurt and are severely crippling. Get those bad boys checked out and lay off the parkour.

 

[LeeRevell]

I had my "trick knee" for years starting during my Airforce days when squatting to work on aircraft.  It mostly happened if I twisted as I rose up.  Later it happened if I got down to change a tire or other job.  It did clear up later as I made sure I did not let it happen.  Been a couple decades since it has occured.

 

[gcal]

This has been an unforeseen complication. I'm 27 and accustomed to relying on my own able-bodiedness. About ten days ago, I partially dislocated my right knee. It went right back into place but it was sore after and I had a limp for a couple days. I thought that was the end of it until it happened again. It seems to be happening more frequently. The knee only comes out of the socket when I'm squatting it seems. It sounds like it would be easy not to squat but it isn't. It happened twice yesterday and each time took me several minutes to figure out how to get my knee back into place before I could use the leg. One occasion occurred on the sidewalk downtown. It happened that my girlfriend was with me, and I actually had to have her help me hobble to a bench because my leg wouldn't work to support any weight. Once I got it back in place, I limped back to the van and I've been resting the leg. But my knee hurts more now than any other time it came apart. I can walk but have a pronounced limp. And if my knee gives out in public again and I can't hobble back to the van? I didn't see this one coming.

I'm wondering if I should see a doctor or if I'll just end up owing a lot of money for expensive scans that only tell me what's wrong without fixing it.

Yes. Go to the doctor. What a question.

 

[MikeRuth]

Weather you get to a doc or not, I'd think a good idea for the moment is to get a Knee brace that could help prevent it from moving out of place.

Possibly something like this..
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/ac...abilizers-model-200290/ID=prod6152504-product

 

[TMG51]

I bought a knee brace last night. The most strenuous dislocation I mentioned in my original post, occurring on the sidewalk, took place not five minutes after putting the brace on. :-/

But I agree it makes sense to consult a doctor now. I'll have to call my insurance provider and see what hospitals are in my network (I have crappy state mandated insurance - another concern as I travel out of state).

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Well, I used to work in the morgue at a large hospital.  We had our son born at home.  I'm not so quick to run to the medical profession.

Lots of people get their knees replaced, and they seem to be happy with them.  If that's all you need, and if that will fix it, I vote for "go for it".  But, if they want to operate, I'd be hesitant.  You might just want to try the brace for awhile, see if you can control it by yourself.

I'm not a doctor and have no training.

 

[Jen n Ash]

I dislocated both knees on a swing at seven years old. It happened again in high school playing softball. Dr. took X-rays, gave me exercises to do and sent me home. For a few years I would tweak my knee every six months or so and have mobility issues. Then I started riding my bicycle for transportation and seriously strengthened muscles that stabilized my kneecap. Hiked the Colorado trail in 2013 (500 miles) and the Arizona trail this spring at age 30 (600 mi). After, stepped out of the van and had a sharp pain in right knee that still is affecting my mobility two months later. It's a different pain than the disslocation produced. Probably a slipped meniscus like everyone is talking about. I'm just trying to be VERY careful and listening to what my body needs. I'm staying active and exercising, doing low impact exercises (walking, cycling, swimming with not much kicking). I know if it is a torn meniscus, probably resulting from my previous knee injuries, there won't be much they will be able to do until it gets worse. I know they can open me up and trim it but that is too extreme for the pain I am able to manage on my own. I've accepted the fact that I'm headed for a total knee replacement. Just sharing my story. The only advice I can give is LISTEN to your body. Turn off all distractions and make exercise a meditation in which you are 100% aware of what is good and what is bad for your knees. Take it slow and don't push it to another injury. If you need a Dr., you will know!