Hello doctor, Yesterday, I went hiking and was running down a cliff. I was going too fast and landed on both my knees. They looked deformed and have bruising and swelling around the knee cap, on the knee cap, and under the knee cap. One of them has a big looking bruised ball under the knee cap. What should I do?
Hi. From your description I gather you have had a nasty fall on both your knees with one being more swollen than the other. You have not mentioned but I am assuming that you were able to stand and walk after the fall and did not need to be carried back. Also, assuming you are young and fit, you have not said anything about your age. The correct course of action will be to take an X-ray of the knee which had swollen up like a balloon. This is to be on the safer side. I will also recommend resting the knee till the swelling comes down enough to allow you to start bending it comfortably. Apply ice, put a compression dressing and take some anti-inflammatory medicines. If the knee shows no fracture on X-ray and you continue to have feeling of something not quite right, MRI will be required to rule out a ligamentous injury.