morris@Shasta.ARPA (Kathy Morris) (02/20/86)
Does anyone out there know what this is? The situation is: yesterday I
slipped, twisting my left knee. The doctor at the student health
centre here sent me to a local sports medicine clinic to see an
orthopaedic specialist. One of the notes on the referral said
``congenital dysplasia of the limbs''. Now, I knew I had amniotic
bands (a congenital condition which resulted in deformities of both
hands, one leg and the other foot). But this was my ``good'' knee,
there is a band on that leg, but it's further down, so my knee isn't
affected. When I asked the doctor about it, he said it just meant
``loose joints'' and manipulated my fingers and wrist to demonstrate.
The question is: how common is this, and what, if anything, can I do
about it? A chiropractor had once commented on how supple my back was,
but I hadn't realised it was outside ``normal'' limits.
[It looks like I haven't done any serious damage to my knee, at least.
I was afraid of ligament damage (I've dislocated the patella twice before),
but the specialist seems to think it's not too serious. I've been
commuting by bicycle 15 minutes each way, which had helped to build up
my quadraceps. So, now it's a matter of ice and elevation, and rest.
Sigh.]
Kathy Morris
(morris@diablo.stanford.edu.
{decwrl|hplabs|ucbvax|...}!Glacier!morris)hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (02/26/86)
In article <105@Shasta.ARPA> morris@Shasta.ARPA (Kathy Morris) writes: >Does anyone out there know what this is? I think I have the same problem in my knees. There's a lot of side play in the joint (demonstrated to me by an orthopedic surgeon). It seems to be the reason I can't jog/run more than .75 miles and had to give up fencing and aerobic classes. >The question is: how common is this, and what, if anything, can I do >about it? Don't know how common it is, but there's not much you can do about it. I was seeing a physical therapist for it 2 - 3 times a week for about 3 months. Therapy consisted of electrosound and weight lifting, apparently designed to strengthen the upper leg muscles. It helped a little, I guess, but I still can't run, fence, or aerobicise. The only "cure" I know of is total replacement of the knee joints. (They can actually do that these days. Ain't science wonderful? (-: ) >[It looks like I haven't done any serious damage to my knee, at least. >I was afraid of ligament damage (I've dislocated the patella twice before), >but the specialist seems to think it's not too serious. I've been >commuting by bicycle 15 minutes each way, which had helped to build up >my quadraceps. So, now it's a matter of ice and elevation, and rest. >Sigh.] Bicycling is how I get my aerobics in these days. Doesn't seem to bother the knees a lot, though I get a twinge now and then. I suspect it builds up some of the same muscles as the weight lifting I did in physical therapy. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (02/27/86)
<<<>>> > ``congenital dysplasia of the limbs''. Now, I knew I had amniotic > bands (a congenital condition which resulted in deformities of both > hands, one leg and the other foot). But this was my ``good'' knee, Unfortunately, you must understand that Medicine speaks in tongues. Congenital - you're born with it. Dysplasia - a defect in formation. You see, defects can be aquired in many ways, but Dysplasia signifies something at the cellular level. Of course it may also be used because it carries less emotional common connotation than 'deformity.' Another example is that one does not feel a patient, one palpates a patient. You must also consider that referrals are made not just to rule in, but also to rule out. -- Craig Werner !philabs!aecom!werner I'll also entertain gifts,knick-knacks,offers of money, & proposals of marriage