Another MRI of the knee.... | Arthritis Information

 

So I had an MRI of my right knee last week. I got the results back today by phone. I am having a copy mailed to me too...but basically I have some degeneration and tendonitis. From what I got in the interpretation (the nurse called and read the radiology report to me) is that the tear to the minsicus is an old one. I figured as much. So anyways, the message was to go ahead with physical thereapy. What I am wondering now though is that since my left knee bothers me as much as the right should I ask for an MRI of the left one too? Or just go to PT, talk to the therapist and then find out what the PT thinks. If they think I should have both knees done they can call the doc and and ask for the order.

I realize doc is busy and he is usually good about calling me with test results. I wish he would have called instead of the nurse. She didnt know anything more than I did on the results.

When I get them in the mail I am gonna take them to work and get on of the docs to explain to me, or I can look up the info.

So I am glad that he seems to think PT will be enough. I hope it is. Surgery doesnt fit into my schedule right now.

I think your instincts are right on here. When the nurse gave me the results on the phone, she only gave me a third of the information that the doctor did and had no idea what needed to be done. When I went in to the Physicican's Assistant, she blasted me with all the damage.

She kept saying, "wait, there's more." I have to see the surgeon. I think the problem is that is starting to fall outside the expertise of the Rheumy. The radiologist wanted another xray of the lesion, but she said it was best to go to the Ortho for this.

I think that's what you need to do is get a referral to the Ortho doc and have both knees evaluated. Even if PT is all need right now, he might write up more specific directions that will give you better results.

Plus, I feel after having lived with all this pain and dysfunction for the last four years, and they could have done something arthoscopically, that it just wasn't worth the wait. Of course, I don't know if I'm going to actually dodge the knee replacement on my right knee and probably not on the left.

Get your films, your report, and your referral to the Ortho and find out what's what.

 

Yeah, that is a good point...it probably is more of an ortho problem than a RD issue. Although some degeneration was shown...but still, I think I will go that route. My insurance doesnt require me to have referrals for specialists so I should be able to get an appointment with an ortho doc easily. I guess I need to contact the imaging company since the RD office never did fax my release form. I think they tried but it didnt go through. Since I will need films too I will just skip the middle man. I think an ortho doc will want an MRI on the other knee too....
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