Fell and tore ligament in knee

[Hopetobe4mrfatty]

GP says they can’t send me for mri for a limb only torso now. 3-6 months wait. I can’t walk and am in a wheelchair. Surely this is crazy or AIBU

Poor you? That's painful . So presumably they haven't even got a proper diagnosis for you?

Are they offering you physio?

I did this. Months of painkillers and crutches. Even now, 15 years on, I still have a creaky knee when it rains. I got an MRI about six months after the event, which was far too late to help with any diagnosis. Sending positive vibes for a good recovery.

Did you go to A&E, OP and how did they diagnose it?

Back in the olden days (1982) I tore a ligament in my knee. I went to A&E the following day (I thought I'd just sprained it at the time), they gave me a GA and scoped my knee to see what I'd done, and I was in a full-length plaster for 10 weeks. I could weight bear on it 2 weeks after having it plastered. I'd partially dislocated my kneecap as well.

Did you go to A&E/minor injuries or just to the GP? I know treatments have changed a lot in 40 years, but just to leave it seems a bit off.

It'll probably be healed by the time you get it scanned at that rate!

Has there been any look at it? Physio recommended? Anything?!

YANBU but the NHS are massively stretched and I guess you would be classed as non-emergency. Could always go to A&E instead? People go for a lot less.

Luckily when I did mine I had private medical through work so was scanned quite quickly, and was Grade II so no operation required, just physio - the key was to keep it moving as soon as I was able (a good few weeks before I could move it without almost vomiting from pain) and strengthening exercises.

@LakieLady both. I have to wait for physiotherapist. I’ll probably lose my job

This is crazy . My dp got run over last month and has a torn ligament grade 4 in his knee and so far he’s had at least 2 mri’s and they’ve said he’s gotta go for further . He had to wait all weekend whilst as an inpatient . It must be your local hospital . Is there another hospital local you could perhaps go to and see if you could be seen quicker ?

Wtf did A&E say? Did they just send you home again with an aspirin or something?

Re work, if there's any way you could work from home it might be worth suggesting. They might prefer that to you being off sick. And it would be very unreasonable of them to sack for an injury.

If physio would help you get back on your feet more quickly, it's nowhere near as expensive as a private doctor, so it might be worth paying for a couple of sessions if you can.

@LakieLady they gave me nothing. In fact they were out of tall crutches so I left with nothing.

Ugh, huge sympathies to you. Just before lockdown I slipped at the gym and badly tore ankle ligaments.
X-ray showed no break, no offer of an MRI, sent home on crutches. I just did RICE - rested it, strapped it up, elevated, ice and ibuprofen. No physio appts available due to pandemic and couldn't walk on it for weeks.
Almost back to normal now, bar a little instability and slight pain occasionally, but it was hideous at the time, incredibly painful and if I hadn't been working from home, it would have massively impacted my job as I couldn't drive for a few months.

Try to get some physio once the swelling and pain has gone down, take it easy and try to stay off it.

I had to buy my own wheelchair. If A&E can’t order an mri, your GP can’t who are these msk people who aren’t doctors who can? Is not being ambulatory not an emergency?

Pay privately for an MRI, you need to get the ball rolling on this. The longer you leave it the bigger the risks of long term damage. My adult DD tore her meniscus cartilage in January, we paid for a private MRI and a private surgical consult. She had her operation on the NHS within 2 weeks of the consult as it was classed as a surgical emergency (3 weeks from accident). She was then in a full leg brace for 8 weeks. The surgeon actually told her that they're just not seeing these injuries due to GPs not seeing patients and/or not referring. Google local MRI centres and ask them for their referral procedure. Many will see you without a referral if paying privately. Are you South mids by any chance? You've been treated appallingly 💐

The whole system is crazy at the moment. You will be in a lot of pain. Not the same I know but ; I went over on the edge of my foot and knocked myself out on tiles in the kitchen. Foot and ankle painful ( not to mention cut and bump on my head) . Dh found me as I was sort of coming round, helped me up and got me tea. Everyone was busy and I left it for a few days as was seeing physio. She was convinced it was ligament damage in ankle and foot and gave me the number to use to book minor injuries. What hassle. I was eventually xrayed then told I had tore the ligaments on side of foot and sprained ankle. They put a support on it and told me not to rest but to walk a bit daily. I am on max pain relief so nothing more I could get I use an aid to walk . I was surprised at being told that as previously years ago when I had done something similar I was told to rest. They wanted me to book into an A&E in another town to get my head checked as they had no facilities. I declined and just covered it up with make up and my fringe. Obviously a knee is very different, is there no way you could get advice from one of the sports injury clinics privately. They are usually very good and helpful .

Physio or an orthopaedic consultant can diagnose you.
You don't need an MRI necessarily.
I'd ask the GP about NHS referral times or pay for a private MSK physio in the first instance and get them to speak to your GP.
Also get some proper pain relief.
Not all ligament injuries need surgery a lot can be managed by physio.
If its something that can be surgically repaired (eg anterior cruciate ligament) then you can ask for a referral.
Hope you get sorted. The initial pain should settle.

@LadyJJ in uni I had surgery on my right knee playing field hockey it was mini. This is the same.

I’ll get a private mri I just hope like hell it’s not the ACL

@LadyJJ brother is osteopath

Tell me about it! I have had to just spend £280 on an MRI on my hip. Doctor said he was unable to refer me for anything other than an X-ray.

@DirtyDancing after you had the mri did the nhs help

I have done this in both knees now. Never got offered crushes or a wheel chair just had to get on with it. The most recent one they thought I had torn the cartilage in my knee and I eventually got an mri after 3 months.

I've torn both ACLS and both mcls so have my sympathy. However, never had either surgical repair or an MRI since mobility tests were definitive for diagnosis and I was told that whisking you straight in for surgery was quite old fashioned since they'd discovered so many healed just as well without. Certainly consultant to old me that he'd be happy with the degree of laxity in my knees after repair. What I would recommend is seeing a good sports physio first and doing all the exercises they prescribe religiously. They will tell you if it's worth spending for an MRI but will also be able to work on preventing any adhesions building up, increasing your range of movement and strengthening the other structures particularly your quads round to keep your knee stable. I suspect you would be better off with a donjoy leg brace or similar too rather than a wheelchair, but a physio can advise. Good luck

We are in Aus and thankfully we can get MRI's on limbs, my daughter dislocated her knee in Feb and the MRI showed she had totally torn both ligaments.
Because of the MRI results she had to have surgery to reconstruct the ligaments.
She still has a 6-9 month recovery.
Your system is horrible.

Thanks everyone. @nonevernotever I am unable to straighten my leg at all. I will take your advice and see a physio but I’m getting the private mri later today. I can’t walk, can’t drive, I only thank goodness I have a big standing shower I can roll into.

I live in London and my life has ground to a halt. I’m living on the ground floor of my 4 story house. Ironically I just had the wet room installed off the kitchen 18 months ago. That’s the blessing. Sleeping on the sofa not so much.

The private mri will be worth it. I fell and damaged my knee years ago. Was fobbed off and told it was just ligaments , turns out that I had damaged my hoffas fat pad, cost me a fortune in private treatment but it was so worth it. I had never experienced pain like it in my life.

I tired my mcl acl and meniscus in January or 2020 and because of covid didnt get any physio but I did get crutches and a hinged knee brace which you can buy from eBay if you can't see anyone.

Took pain killers for a few weeks then looked on YouTube for acl recovery exercises as they would pre covid give you an intense class to get it rehabbed. I saw my surgeon in March 2020 and June 2020 where he said I was doing ok but that I'd still need surgery when it was allowed again.

Carried on with the exercises and lost some weight and yesterday he said I didn't need surgery as my quads and calves were strong enough to not need the reconstruction using my hamstring.

Keep pushing to see someone but you can do it alone too

Sympathies. I'm waiting to see someone about my knee luckily I have insurance. You can buy crutches on Amazon. Or can somebody go back to get them for you from the hospital?

Sending so much love

If in pain contact private pain doctor too and get some support

This will need rehab

Get a letter from your doctor to sign you off