Knee Effusion???

Bob Irwin

I tripped when running a week ago and went down pretty hard on my knee. The asphalt was poorly maintained, so I have deep abrasions. The day after I fell it was swollen to about double normal size, so I decided to go to the doctor. The doctor took x-rays and said nothing was broken. She said they’ll do an MRI after the swelling went down some if it was still very painful. She said I could start swimming when the abrasions heal, and that I can start light load cycling inside when the swelling is gone. She said running is probably three to four weeks away from the date of the injury as long as there is nothing else wrong. The swelling has gone down quite a bit, and the pain is better but certainly not gone. I’m curious if anyone else has had an injury like this, treatment you may have gotten, and when you were able to return to training. I’ve got a HIM in three months – may have to skip that, and IMC at the end of August – I think I’m still OK for that. Thanks

coop6

I did something similar in January, I fell and skidded part way down a hill on my left knee. It looked horrible, and was massively swollen but I never had any instability or severe pain so I did not seek medical treatment. It looked so horrible i was sure i had broken my knee cap, but since it didnt hurt like a fracture i decided to wait it out and self treated with ice, elevation, and rest. The major swelling went down in a few days, and I was able to ride and run on it, but volume only, no intensity. I had major bruising and a goose egg on my knee for over a month. I was probably back to near normal training by two weeks though. The worst part for me was breaking open the abrasion every time I bent my knee, and the goose egg rubbing against my pant leg.
Sounds like your injury might be a little worse than mine was, but don't be afraid to rest it and do what you need to do. If its still painful or feels unstable, definitely get the MRI. I wouldnt worry yet about your races. Three months is a long time... Hopefully you haven't damaged anything major and this will heal up sooner than anticipated. Good luck!