When you meet with your Consultant at The Blackheath, they will take a detailed medical history and ask you about your symptoms. They will want to know:
- The symptoms you have
- When your symptoms started
-
Whether there was an obvious cause for your symptoms (for example, did you twist your knee while playing football?)
- Whether you have any type of pain in your knee and what brings it on
- Whether any of your symptoms are getting worse
-
If you’ve received any type of treatments already, like prescription medication or physiotherapy
They will carry out a clinical examination of your knees, and often your hip, back and lower leg as knee pain can sometimes be referred from problems in these areas.
You may be referred for additional investigations to help with diagnosis. X-rays of the knee can help demonstrate any bony abnormalities, while MRI and Ultrasound can be extremely helpful when looking for soft tissue problems such as ligament and cartilage damage.
X-ray, CT, MRI and Ultrasound are all readily available at The Blackheath, so these can be easily and quickly arranged for you. Experienced on-site radiologists help ensure the results of any of these tests are back with your Consultant as soon as possible.
Once the results of any investigations are back and your consultant has confirmed a diagnosis, they will explore suitable treatment options with you.
For some conditions, your consultant may carry out keyhole surgery (knee arthroscopy). Small cuts are made in your skin and an arthroscope (a thin tube, the size of a pencil, with a camera and light on one end) is passed into the knee joint. The arthroscope sends a live feed to a video screen, allowing your surgeon a clear view inside the joint. If any problems are found, such as ligament or cartilage damage, it is often possible to carry out surgical repair as part of the arthroscopy.