 Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from a good week in Selva but unfortunately my girlfriend has injured her knee (taking her ski off).
She is off to the physio on Thursday but they think it is a tear to her medial ligament on the side of her knee.
Has anyone any experience of this type of injury and a rough idea as to how long she needs to wait before she can ski again (she is not an agressive skier).
She can walk pretty well but has pain when she twists her knee.
We were going to Saalbach at the end of Feb which we think may need cancelling but were hoping for a week in April.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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6 weeks.
Be a bit careful for a couple of weeks so as not to re-injure it again. Start physio after the swelling is gone (2-3 weeks?).
Take it with a grain of salt from "internet doctors". (I'm not even a doctor, but I had same injury on both knees so know the routine well).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Steve.S, your query is essentially unanswerable, because there are medial knee ligament injuries and medial knee ligament injuries. What I mean by that, is that the degree of tear decides how long the recovery is. Think of the ligament as a bit of rope - minor trauma may result in tearing of just a few fibers of the rope, moderate trauma say half of them, or severe trauma a complete tear. Obviously the last will take longer to heal (actually sometimes requires a surgical repair).
The other thing to consider is, is the diagnosis correct? - I am trying to picture how someone could injure their knee taking their ski off, and it seems to me that there might be a twisting (corkscrew) element to the injury - which puts the meniscus (sometimes known as the cartilage) at risk.
I would suggest a trip to a good local sports physio ( you may find that this is covered on your winter sports insurance) to have a good accurate diagnosis and perhaps some treatment and remedial exercises.
End of February is not impossible if it was a minor tweak.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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abc, thanks for decrying internet doctors 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Steve.S, 100% what Freddie Paellahead said.
abc, slightly inappropriate generalisation from limited personal experience.
I tweaked my right MCL on a fall at Snow King many years ago. Missed one day. Skied ok after that.
Others do the MCL - but also later are found to have some ACL damage and a medial meniscal tear was well.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 20-01-10 17:59; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi
As someone already says, it depends. My experience ...
I was diagnosed with a medial ligament sprain at the start of last March. I was told not to ski for a week by the doc but I think I couldn't have skiied for at least two. I was back on the snow at Easter, taking it fairly easy but getting on pretty well.
Good luck,
CP
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My experience. Damaged a medial ligament a few years ago in a low speed fall at Glenshee when I caught a tip in a bank of soft snow. Very sore especially on the 2hr drive home. Visited casualty next day who xrayed it said there was nothing broken here's some paracetomol and a tuby grip. Rest it.
Bought a knee brace with metal hinges, as the knee bent OK, but was painfull if i loaded the leg side ways. Went skiing in France a few weeks* later with no problems, but knee still sore if I loaded the leg sideways - so visited GP who said damaged medial ligament and booked me a couple of physio appointments. Physio suggested some exercises. Knee slowly got better. Kept using the knee brace for skiing for two more seasons, but no problems.
But that was my knee - and the damage probably wasn't massive. I'd go with Freddie Paellahead' advice.
* probably did it over New Year or early to mid January and was skiing at February half term so there was between 3-6 weeks bewteen injury and skiing. Decided not to risk skiing in scotland again before the ski holiday
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| Freddie Paellahead wrote: |
| abc, thanks for decrying internet doctors |
Since the OP is seeing a REAL doctor tomorrow anywa, the opinion of us "internet doctors" mostly for reassurance only.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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abc, please don't knock the doctors on here, they do us all a considerable service. The difference between your 'advice' and Freddie Paellahead's is pretty stark, I think you'd agree. And, if the OP hadn't wanted some advice over the internet, he wouldn't have asked for it. 
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abc, Both Freddie Paellahead, and stoatsbrother, are both real life Doctors in General Practice who also ski quite well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hurtle, I don't see the OP asking for "advice" but rather "past experience":
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Has anyone any experience of this type of injury and a rough idea as to how long she needs to wait before she can ski again (she is not an agressive skier).
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While I agree Freddie Paellahead had provided a more thorough explanation of the various possibilities, he didn't provide any diagnose either. Correctly so, I might add, until the OP's girl friend had her knees examined by the real world doctor.
I wasn't exactly "knocking" the doctors. But the problem being, some internet doctors are real doctor in the real world. Others are not. Or others are just ex-patients like me passing along experience. It's up to the OP to see which responds SOUNDS like coming from the real doctor and which is not. (I've made it clear in my post I wasn't a doctor, but the doctors seems to modest to indicate they ARE?  )
While I continued skiing after my 2nd (milder) MCL injury, it's not something I'd purposely choose to do had it been a worse injury(happened on next to last day of the season, so might as well get the last day in  ). I wouldn't want to go on another week of skiing, especially if it's early in the season and I had a chance to do a later trip, giving the injury a chance to fully heal.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Wed 20-01-10 20:44; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi,
I agree on the need for physio. As well as really helping with pain relief (the ligament may hurt for yonks even if it's a minor injury - apparently it's a particularly grumpy ligament) the physio will help ensure that everything is firing as it should - The muscles around the injury seem to go a bit haywire and will need some specialist help to make them all work together properly again - vital to avoid reinjury.
Also - your OH may benefit from some lessons when she restarts skiing to help with her confidence and getting quickly back to her previous standard.
And no - I am not a doctor!
CP
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You know it makes sense.
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How topical is this?
I just had an arthroscopy this morning to sort out a meniscus tear on my left knee that was originally diagnosed by my GP as a MCL sprain.
I went to a physio and after a number sessions and lots of exercises she decided that there was a more underlying problem. Back to GP and referred to consutant for X-Rays and MRI scan. X-ray showed no bone structure problems but the MRI clearly showed up the tear.
This just ices my knee cake as I had a tear in the meniscus on my right knee removed last May - the MRI and the subsequent athroscopy on that knee showed that I had also ruptured my ACL at some point, which had 'healed' it'self. I know exactly when that happened ( yes is was a fall skiing from standstill with a nice twist ) and that was also diagnosed at the time by my GP as a MCL sprain.
So I agree fully with all the internet doctors here - see a sports physio!!
Cheers
CP
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm currently carrying a meniscus tear in my right knee, I had the left key-holed two years ago. I skied on it three weeks ago and will be again in a fortnight. My Doc is a skiing buddy, he sent me off with painkillers and anti-inflams. The plan is to put off the op until the skiing season is over. My biggest problem was walking in ski boots, skiing itself gave no problems. Both knees were a bit sore the week after skiing when I'd stopped taking the pills.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| CP wrote: |
How topical is this?
I just had an arthroscopy this morning to sort out a meniscus tear on my left knee that was originally diagnosed by my GP as a MCL sprain.
I went to a physio and after a number sessions and lots of exercises she decided that there was a more underlying problem. Back to GP and referred to consutant for X-Rays and MRI scan. X-ray showed no bone structure problems but the MRI clearly showed up the tear.
So I agree fully with all the internet doctors here - see a sports physio!!
Cheers
CP |
This is exactly one of the points that I was making - that the diagnosis is uncertain at this stage, and maybe even a little suspect given the mechanism of injury.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Self diagnosed MCL tear landing a jump last January - caught an edge in heavy snow which whipped my left leg round to square and backwards. Staggered and limped to the lodge in absolute bloody agony. With a knee brace and loads of sports tape I raced 5 days later .... adrenalin > pain! Good job I didn't see a doctor so he didn't get a chance to say no  . I was a heavily taped and mostly cautious skier for several weeks and any kind of sideways loading was unbearable. Approx. 6-8 weeks to ski without noticeable pain/extra caution.
That's my experience, and a possible prediction for recovery, but its sure as hell not my advice! Listen to the doctor.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Now I feel like a wimp! Suffered a Grade 2 tear (whatever that means) of left MCL a number of years back (football, not skiing) underwent surgery four days later - MCL was repaired and surgeon confirmed no damage to cruciates or meniscus. Plaster hip to toe for six weeks then three months of intense physio (muscle wastage was VERY apparent!), got the okay to ski lightly six months later.
As Freddie Paellahead rightly says, there are medial ligament injuries and there are medial ligament injuries.....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've had a twingy right knee for a while now. Nothing bad, just when it gets twisted I get some discomfort on the inside of the knee.
a. Does this sound like a medial ligament problem?
b. What sort of exercises are recommend?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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tiffin, medial ligaments run down either side of of the knee joint. Any problems with these would show as pain down the inside or outside of the leg, one side or other of the joint. If the pain is from inside the knee itself it could be tweaked cruciates, cartilage or meniscus (or any combination of these).
Best advice is to seek medical attention. Remember, though, that 'soft-tissue' injuries don't show up on x-rays, only MRI or arthroscopy (keyhole surgery with camera when they would in all probability repair as well if possible) would do that.
Only when you know what the problem is can appropriate exercise be recommended.
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Thanks for the information everyone.
She is at the Physio this afternoon and we are keeping our fingers crossed for that week in Obergurgl in April.
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Jon.L, Not quite anatomically accurate
Medial Collateral ligaments run down the medial side (inner aspect of the knee - ie left side on the right knee). Lateral Collateral down the outer aspect.
Chuck in your Cruciates (which are on the inside) and you have LCL, MCL, ACL and PCL.
MCL and medial meniscal pain can be very very similar. Hence the diagnostic difficulties mentioned above by Freddie P, and I have seen people told by ski resort Drs that they had an MCL injury when they had Meniscal Problems.
One suggestive sign for meniscal injuries which need sorting rapidly is the inability to hyperextend. To test this, lie on a hard surface and see if you can get the back of your knee flat against it and then see if you can lift your heel off at the sametime. Failure to be able to do this as well with the bad knee (compared with the good one) can suggest a "locked knee" which needs urgent arthroscopy.
Another interesting thing is that MRIs and arthroscopies of the same knee seem to disagree fairly frequently!
tiffin, as Jon.L says - get someone to examine it properly.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
tiffin, as Jon.L says - get someone to examine it properly. |
Sheesh what good is the internet if I can't wave my knee at the monitor and have you diagnose it 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
| Medial Collateral ligaments run down the medial side (inner aspect of the knee - ie left side on the right knee). Lateral Collateral down the outer aspect. |
Thanks, stoatsbrother, that's what I was trying to say by
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| medial ligaments run down either side of of the knee joint |
but not quite a clear as you put it!
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Unfortunately Jon.L you're not unclear, but wrong. Had you said "collateral ligaments run down either side of the knee joint" you would have been correct, just not as precise as you could have been. As stoatsbrother said, it's the medial/lateral (as opposed to collateral) that distinguishes one side from the other. "Medial" means "towards the mid line", i.e. left side of right knee and right side of left knee. "Lateral" (as in Lateral Collateral) means "away from mid-line", i.e. right side of right knee and left side of left knee. HTH .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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GrahamN, you've spent too much time on the physio's table
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Freddie Paellahead, never been to see one . Maybe spent a bit of time looking at the odd MRI though.
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Here's my war story.....
I had a mild tear of my MCL in Canada about 9 years ago. I was provided with a knee brace by the doctor I saw, and he recommended me to see my GP and ask for an MRI scan when I got home to check whether there was any meniscal damage.
When I duly reported at my local surgery, my GP (once he'd stopped hooting with laughter about the unlikely possibility of actually getting booked in for a scan before I'd made a full recovery) asked me if I'd like to donate the knee brace to his practice (welcome to the NHS.....).
Essentially, I was in considerable discomfort, with a badly swollen knee for about the first week, and was advised to wear the brace for a month.
After 6 weeks I was referred to a hospital phyisotherapy clinic, for rehab. Since I'm pretty proactive when it comes to rehab I made a complete and rapid recovery (to the extent that the physio told me to stop coming, because I was making the other patients nervous).
The bottom line is that unless the damage is severe, a full recovery is likely - but of course every case is different, and your G/F should be guided by the professional advice she gets (although from your statement that "She can walk pretty well " it doesn't sound too bad: I definitely couldn't walk that well, initially).
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You know it makes sense.
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FAQ
