The Challenge
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Jane is a generally healthy forty year old female. She is of average in height and weight. Previous surgeries include wisdom teeth removal (2000) and tonsillectomy (1990). She takes a multivitamin daily and has no known allergies. Jane does not smoke.
She has had one prior pregnancy with a full-term birth and is not currently pregnant. She lives with her husband and child. Jane states that she is generally happy with her life.
Recently, Jane decided to sign-up for a triathlon in order to build her cardiovascular health and aerobic fitness by incorporating more aerobic exercise in her day by biking, running, and swimming. The upcoming race is several months away. She has done a few 5K races in the past, but she does not consider herself a serious runner. To prepare, she dusts off the old running shoes that she has had for over a year and puts on her running clothes.
One sunny afternoon, Jane and her friend decide to go for a jog on an outdoor trail. They do not have much time in their schedule for the run, so they skip stretching. As Jane rounds a bend in the trail, her left foot gets stuck in a rut, but her body continues to move. Her knee twists slightly as it is bending. She feels a “popping” sensation in her knee followed by pain and difficulty straightening her knee. Jane's pain increases when she bends her knee. As she approaches the car, she finds that she cannot tolerate going down the curb with her uninjured leg leading due to pain upon bending her knee. Her friend assists her to the car and drives her to the urgent care. On her way to the urgent care she notes mild swelling developing on the inner part of her knee.
The urgent care physician examines Jane's knee, gives her a stabilizing brace, and refers her to an orthopedic surgeon.
She is seen in the office by the orthopedic surgeon the next day. Jane states that her knee didn't start swelling a lot until today. The orthopedist also examines Jane's knee and recommends imaging to confirm his findings.
Your job:
Using the information in this case your job is to determine:
-what she could have done to avoid the knee injury described in the above case.
-the type of knee injury Jane has.
-what if any imaging tests might be helpful to diagnose her injury.
-what treatment options may be recommended for this case.