What should I do at this point?

Question

I hurt my knee last October catching and I am only 16. It started as a strain from there I was told by my doctor that my knee cap shifts. I went through physical therapy and wore a brace but they allowed me to continue playing sports. After about 3 months of going to therapy I didn't get any better, I started to have more pain and harder time walking. They told me i developed tendinitis, but I had random pain almost daily in my knee in a specific area but it then started to spread. I went back to my orthopedic and he sent me for an MRI, giving me a few things that it could be and there was a chance of surgery. The results showed a bruised bone and i could no longer do any sort of activity and they could do nothing about it. Its been almost two months and I'm no better than I was. What do you think I should do at this point? and my parents are planning to take me to a different doctor to see what they say

Answer 1

For a bruised bone you should ice pack, rest, and use over the counter pain relief.  Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, so I suggest that in case the tissue surrounding the bone is irritated or inflammed.  Don't take more than the guidelines on the bottle, because you could cause gastrointestinal problems.  A bruised bone can take days to weeks to heal.  I think you should continue caring for this injury as if it were a bruised bone while you wait for that 2nd opinion.  The doctor might have missed something, but it also might just be a very bad case, and a bruised bone takes longer to heal depending on where it is and how well you take care of it.  

Answer 2

When you have a bruise under the skin of your leg, from walking into the coffee table or whatever... it can take weeks before all the discoloration is gone.

The matrix of the bone itself doesn't have the rapid healing capabilities of the skin so true bone bruises can take quite a while to heal completely. Add to the fact that you have kept using it and hurting it. Tendonitis itself can take awhile to resolve you know. And the longer things are inflammed the longer it will take to heal. I know that's probably not what you want to hear but this might go on for awhile. Hasn't anybody tried anti-inflammatories on you?