Question
Hi,

I was wondering, let's say i sprained ( a minor sprained) my knee cap, is there such a thing? And how long will it take to recover and what will I have to do? Lets say that I tripped and fell and when I fell my knee cap hit the hard floor, could I have torn a cartillage or a ligment or just sprain, strained or fractured my knee cap? And all of this is just minor. If any of that happend could you possibly tell me or give me a website describing what happends, what the treatment is and how long i will recover from it?

Answer
Hello Beth,


   Yes, any of those things may have happened.  In general bones heal in 4 weeks, Muscles heal in 3-4 weeks, tendons can take up to 3-4 months, cartilage and ligaments range from 3months to a year depending on the injury.  If the pain is so bad you can't walk or perform your normal activities you may want to consider having an orthopedic exam performed on the knee to determine exactly what area is injured.
   If the pain is relatively minor, biking for a month at very little to no tension (just spining) for 30min. each day may help loosen the musculature surrounding the knee and reduce swelling in the area!

Have a great day!

Dr. Brendon O'Brien D.C.