What Causes Difficulty Walking Post Injury With Normal X-ray?

Posted on Sun, 26 Oct 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 26 Oct 2014 Answered on

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My son injured his left knee playing basketball. He cannot walk on it and has very limited movement. This happended on a Friday afternoon. I took him to an Urgent Care Center. They performed an X-ray and said there was no damaged to the bones but recommended an MRI. They could not perform it and all MRIs are closed on weekend. His leg is cold to the touch but not turning blue. Should we be concerned about the cold leg and foot or is this normal? Can this wait until his MRI tomorrow or Tuesday? Is this something that requires an emergency room visit?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
If bluish discoloration is not there , wait.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir,

Thank you for posting your query on HCM.

Well looking into your problem I would like to tell you that since there is no bluish discoloration there is nothing to worry. MRI was advised to see if there is some kind of ligament tear or soft tissue injury so you can wait for it , there is no hurry . Even if required Doppler of limbs will be required to see the blood flow , MRI will not be helpful in case of cold and blue legs.

In my opinion just observe if there appears any swelling or bluish discoloration then you will need to see a doctor as examination will be required then otherwise you can wait . Rest I dont think there is anything to worry as suggested by history.

Take care.

Dr. Shruti

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar