The 21-Year Old and Her Tear

Several things happened at my first trip to the orthopedist:

1. Straight leg brace was removed: Immediately after an injury, my orthopedist told me that you should do your best to bend your knee and regain your range of motion.
2. MRI scan ordered: After listening to my story, the doctor had me schedule a scan of my right knee.  He said that a “popping” sound is usually a sign of a ligament tear.
3. Knee drain: This was nowhere as painful as my injury but it was very uncomfortable.  The doctor administered a numbing agent to my right knee.  Ten minutes after he applied the agent, the doctor inserted a syringe into my knee.  The nurse held my leg down and pushed my calf and thigh toward each other so the liquid would concentrate in my knee for draining.  He drained my knee twice. Immediately after the procedure, my knee felt MUCH better; the pain was still there but the pressure was gone.  I could bend my leg to 70 degrees compared to what I originally came in with (nada!). The nurse instructed me to bend my knee as much as possible and continue to ice it.