What is internal derangement in a knee?!


Question: What is internal derangement in a knee?
So I am a 16 year old female dancer and about a month and a half ago I really hurt my knee. I went to a walk in clinic and they sent me to get an ultra sound. This is what they said in the review...
"There is a left knee effusion, medial and lateral collateral ligament and extensor mechanism appear intact but there is a clinical concern about internal derangement and an MRI is recommended."
I have been on anti-inflammitories for a few weeks and wearing an ace bandage but nothings helping and my appointment isnt until way after dance is over.

Im curious as to what they may find in this mri and what they are actually looking for. I have a competition coming up next weekend and as stupid as it is I am going to dance in it. Any idea what they are looking for in this exam and what I could actually have done to my knee? Meniscus injuries have been brought up a few times as a possibility...

Thanks for your help! :)

Answers:

Melissa, an internal derangement of the knee simply means that something internal is not working correctly. An ultrasound is limited in its capacity to see all of the structures within the knee. So a recommendation was made of an MRI. This will show you all of the internal structures of the knee. So while you have a preliminary report that the outer ligaments are intact as well as the patellar tendon it cannot tell you about the anterior or posterior cruciate ligaments. It cannot tell you about the meniscus or underlying cartilage. All of this would be seen by MRI. What they are most likely looking for is an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus. The elastic bandage is not going to do anything and the anti-inflammatories are not going to do anything except mask what damage is going on in there.

physical therapist




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