Question: My bones sometimes move out of position most especially when I participate in sports. Just a few weeks ago my right knee dislocated, and this is not the first time it happened. My knee is still swollen and when I walk up stairs I feel pain. What should I do? I still want to play sports.
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Knee dislocations — except for serious dislocations of the patella, the little bone in the front of the knee — almost always indicate a serious injury to the knee joint or ligaments. They can also be caused by a bone fracture.
You should not attempt to walk on an injured knee at all, as you can easily damage adjacent ligaments that may not have been involved with your initial injury. Use crutches and see your doctor for an MRI and referral to an orthopedic specialist to see about the advisability of scope evaluation (arthroscopy) and surgical correction.
Unfortunately, repeated injury may have damaged your knee joint, but it is possible your dislocation will represent an isolated ligament problem that can be readily repaired, instead of a more complex situation.
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