Last night I was playing softball and early in the game a ball took a bad hop and hit me on the side of the knee cap (it hit hard enough to be heard in the first base dugout while I was in LC). It instantly bruised and you could see the seams of the ball but the pain subsided within a minute or two. I sat out for a few innings before going back in to play (I jogged/ran and everything felt fine before I decided to play again). I made a few plays in the field and batted/ran the bases with no problem. Later in the game I was running after a flyball in the outfield when I felt a tiny, tiny pop in my knee and before I knew it I was on the ground.

 

There wasn't a whole lot of pain associated with the pop and subsequent give out but my leg felt real shaky as I was walking off the field. I iced it, drove home, and then iced it more last night while elevating it. This morning there still is no pain or swelling. I do have a few random black & blue spots on top of the kneecap and just below it but mostly just tightness in the back and inside of the knee and it still feels shaky to put pressure on. I am using a knee immobilizer with crutches today to be safe.

 

I'm going to see my trainer later today to get his opinion before calling into the doctor but I know a few on BGP have had knee troubles before so I wanted to get your all's opinions on what it could be. My girlfriend said based on my descriptions it sounds like what her knee felt like when she tore her ACL. Wouldn't there be swelling and pain associated with that? Could the ball hitting the inside of my knee cap cause a ligament injury or could it just be a random coincidence and the two events are unrelated?

ACL would cause considerable swelling, they delay surgery weeks to let the swelling go down on pro athletes. Also, I've seen guys who can bench over 400lbs scream like a little girl when they tore theirs. Everyone is different though maybe 2/10 the pain isn't excruciating but for most it is. Hope it's only a deep bone bruise good luck.

The first injury, probably a deep bruise could have contributed to a second. The swelling may have compromised the functionality of the joint. The pop could have just been a shifting of things in the joint or an actual tear. However, if you had a ligament tear (people are different) but you most likely would have significant swelling and stiffness. A cartilage tear maybe not quite as much as a ligament. RICE!

Every time I heard someone say they heard a pop, like you did, they eventually had knee surgery. I hope that is not the case with your injury.

There is a cartilage where you are describing. I have never heard of blunt trauma with something the weight of a softball causing ligament damage. ACL is vascular, if it tears, it bleeds and you swell. My guess is it was a cartilagenous noise. I wouldn't be worried. If a meniscus tears, even slightly, there is typically continued discomfort. My advice, get in front of the ball and bad hops won't hit you in the side of the knee, Votto.

Every time I heard someone say they heard a pop, like you did, they eventually had knee surgery. I hope that is not the case with your injury.

 

There is a cartilage where you are describing. I have never heard of blunt trauma with something the weight of a softball causing ligament damage. ACL is vascular, if it tears, it bleeds and you swell. My guess is it was a cartilagenous noise. I wouldn't be worried. If a meniscus tears, even slightly, there is typically continued discomfort. My advice, get in front of the ball and bad hops won't hit you in the side of the knee, Votto.

 

I've had the pop that leads to surgery before in the same knee as I tore my meniscus my junior year but this doesn't feel like that.

 

As for the ACL and swelling part, I meant to put it in my original post about my girlfriend and her ACL, but she suffered no swelling or pain as a result and was wearing heels the next night.

 

I was in front of it which is why it hit me and didn't go past me but the outfield wasn't in the best shape and it found a divot or something and kicked up.

My advice, get in front of the ball and bad hops won't hit you in the side of the knee, Votto.

 

:lol2:

As for the ACL and swelling part, I meant to put it in my original post about my girlfriend and her ACL, but she suffered no swelling or pain as a result and was wearing heels the next night.

 

Sounds like you have a tough broad!

 

When I tore my ACL, I felt a pop and was in a lot of pain. Rolled around a while and then sat out of my flag football game (yes that is how I went down). After a while I jogged and felt alright but still painful. Went back and played the rest of the second half. When I woke up the next day, the swelling was unreal and I was in quite a bit of pain. Completely torn ACL, and slightly torn meniscus. I'm still convinced that 5-6 months prior I slightly tweaked something playing basketball, but never had it checked because it didn't bother me after a few days. Get it checked and keep your fingers crossed.

 

As many of you know, the problem with knees, you never fully know what it is until you have that MRI.

Saw a trainer yesterday. Knee joint effusion, patellofemoral, and he can't rule out an ACL tear. Seeing an ortho this afternoon.

Saw a trainer yesterday. Knee joint effusion, patellofemoral, and he can't rule out an ACL tear. Seeing an ortho this afternoon.

 

I feel like trainers and even the orthos poke around and move your leg in all these different directions but at the end of the day, all they can do is give you their best guess until you get that MRI. Before my MRI, the ortho was sure from where it hurt and what he could do without causing pain that I might have slightly tore my meniscus and that was all. Well I did slightly tear my meniscus, but the MRI showed that I completely tore my ACL too.

 

I remember that day so clear still after about three years. Tough news to take, obviously not the end of the world but I went from 6 weeks to 9 months or rehab real quick.

So what's the word NKU did you get an MRI yet?

..........When I tore my ACL (cutting, non contact) I played another 10 minutes of hoops. An hour later it was the size of a volleyball. Oddly enough, it was never excruciatingly painful, just really uncomfortable. The rehab hurt worse than the injury.

..........When I tore my ACL (cutting' date=' non contact) I played another 10 minutes of hoops. An hour later it was the size of a volleyball. Oddly enough, it was never excruciatingly painful, just really uncomfortable. The rehab hurt worse than the injury.[/quote']

 

Was it a complete tear or partial tear? I think a partial tear is what you often see when people can still play, also has a lot to do with what else gets messed up in the injury. When I tore my right ACL I was coming down with a rebound and someone ran into the side of my knee. It hurt like HELL, but the MRI told the story as to why. I had torn my ACL, MCL, LCL medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. I've never fully trusted my right knee since then and that's been nearly 13 years ago.

Was it a complete tear or partial tear? I think a partial tear is what you often see when people can still play, also has a lot to do with what else gets messed up in the injury. When I tore my right ACL I was coming down with a rebound and someone ran into the side of my knee. It hurt like HELL, but the MRI told the story as to why. I had torn my ACL, MCL, LCL medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. I've never fully trusted my right knee since then and that's been nearly 13 years ago.

Two partial tears, three inches apart, required two separate scopes. I still wear a knee brace when I hoop and it was 22 years ago. My security blanket. Ha!

Two partial tears, three inches apart, required two separate scopes. I still wear a knee brace when I hoop and it was 22 years ago. My security blanket. Ha!

 

I left my knee brace at a gym playing a pickup game at a local church about 6-7 years ago. A friend of mine grabbed it up and had it in his car. He died in a car wreck a few months later and I haven't had a knee brace since. I will play maybe once a year but not too often. That would certainly change if I was able to get a knee brace again.