Knee "locked"—Zero movement, EXTREME pain

Posted , 3 users are following.

As I type this one-handed on my phone, my left knee is undergoing one of the strangest sensations I've felt in my life. The outermost edge of the knee feels "popped"— like a tendon or something similar has simply popped out of place. However, it feels like two bones (I know that sounds absurd) are bending against each other, and if I move my leg AT ALL they'll snap. Needless to say, it's terrible, unique pain, and I can't bend my knee in or out by millimeters without feeling like I'm going to Tear my ACL or something similarly horrible. Thing is, it happened to me earlier this year as well. I was lying on the beach to get up, and as I move my leg to the side the same thing happened, this time on the right knee. Three hours later, i'm sitting in a hospital bed and I can simply bend my knee out with zero issues whatsoever. I do experienced issues with my knee all my life ( I have patella subloxia), but never in my left one, and never anything as painful or is limiting as the type of incident I'm describing now. Is there any advice on this? I know it isn't worth a visit in the hospital. I do not want to sit around immobile for three hours at two in the morning.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi have you considered you may have a torn meniscus. My knee has been locked for nearly seven weeks and I am due to have an arthroscopy in the next week. This first happened to me over three years ago and it's now resulted in this. I would suggest a visit to the orthopaedic surgeon and MRI is needed don't leave it.

    • Posted

      I just don't think it's a torn meniscus. There's zero swelling or anything of the sort, and I can walk perfectly well once it's stretched out.

  • Posted

    Get a professional to look at it.
    • Posted

      That's the thing—after the earlier incident I saw an orthopedic surgeon and after a number of diagnostic tests all I got back was "it's probably just patellar subluxation". However, this isn't an issue of my kneecap moving temporarily out of place (although that definitely happens to me as well with more regularity). Obviously I'm fine now—over the course of two hours I simply had to slowly, slowly stretch out my leg using my toes and crawl to bed. But I was wondering if anyone had a similar problem.

    • Posted

      Did you get any physiotherapy? Does wearing a support bandage help? If it's increasing in frequency then it does merit a professioral opinion. Hopefully someone on here may have a similar experience.

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