Suggest Treatment For Pain In The Knee Cap Area

Posted on Sat, 17 Jan 2015

Question: I was playing with kids and jumped up to hide behind desk. I hit the top outter kneecap on the corner of desk and had excruciating pain for about 5 minutes. Now its elevated but my whole knee cap area is swollen warm and the pain radiates to the back of my knee. Should I get this checked tonight or can it wait? Also I have Chondromalacia patella (spelling) and have had previous surgeries to shave the joint and smooth it back down. Thanks

Answered by Dr. Ronald Schubert (40 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Contusion knee cap

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for contacting HCM with your health care concerns

You are concerned about trauma to your knee cap from playing with the children. For immediate treatment I recommend you use ice fro the next 1-2 hours. This will reduce the swelling and pain. You do not need to seek medical attention to night.

Trauma to a knee may cause contusion and at the worst a fracture of the knee cap. Both injuries are treated the same with ice and rest. If your knee is still giving you continued pain and difficulty walking then you can seek medical attention tomorrow or Friday. There is no rush to have treatment. I recommend using the ice, elevate the leg and reduce your walking for the next few days. For pain you can use aspirin or ibuprofen

I hope this answers your question. Please contact HCM again with your health care questions or concerns

Note: For further follow-up it is advisable to consult an emergency medicine specialist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D