Posts Tagged ‘MRI’
MRI Results
Posted on: December 26, 2010
I returned to the orthopedist 2 days later to hear my MRI results. The news, unfortunately, was not what I expected. I really thought I had just sprained my knee and after a week, I would be back to normal.
So wrong.
The MRI showed damage to the following —
- ACL (complete tear)
- Complex tear of the lateral meniscus
- Sprain of the MCL
- Sprain of the fibular collateral ligament (LCL)
- Bone contusion (bruising)
The doctor recommended that I undergo ACL surgery because I will continue to be active in sports. He also said that patients with torn ACLs have a higher chance of developing osteoarthritis.
MRI Appointment
Posted on: December 26, 2010
This was my first MRI scan and I was actually nervous because people told me to expect different things. Your entire body will be inside a humming tube. It’s gonna be freezing. The machine is very loud. You’ll be injected with a substance so the machine can read you. Yada yada yada.
If I could pick my favorite part about this experience, I would choose my MRI scan because it was painless and actually relaxing. I was escorted to a small room with the machine and told to lie down with my right knee positioned on a certain spot. The technician covered me with a blanket and told me not to move. For 10 minutes or so, I was relaxed. Only my knee, not body, was placed under the machine. The machine made noise but it wasn’t loud; the sounds were simply clicks.
I fell asleep during the scan but I felt very refreshed when the technician woke me up! I would return in 2 days for my results.
Several things happened at my first trip to the orthopedist:
- 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.
- 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.
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.
The 21-Year Old and Her Tear 