Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism and how they relate to a dislocated knee

Back in the end of June of 2007 I had dislocated my knee. I had written a few posts about my ordeal and those posts have slowly turned into a place of support and guidance for those who have also suffered from the same injury. One of those people, Lisa, has just recently had some serious complications arise from her dislocation. She had a blood clot dislodge and travel to her lungs. Needless to say she had to be rushed to the hospital. It was quite serious and all related to her dislocation, something which she, nor I for that matter, would ever have expected to result from a dislocated knee.

Here is what Lisa said in her comment:

“My doctor says the clot, based on ultraound/doppler tests, began behind my knee. Apparently, the lower in the leg the clot, the less serious/smaller it is and the more likely it is to either be absorbed by the veins or become a DTV (deep vein thrombosis) instead of a Pulmonary Embolism. Above the calf is considered dangerous. Normally the act of getting up to pee throughout the day during immobilization is enough to prevent a clot. I must have had the perfect storm of injury location and severity. The scary thing is that it was 4 months after the injury when the clot broke free and traveled to my lungs. Please encourage everyone on this blog to discuss DVT and PE with their orthopedist. Leg cramps and shortness of breath might not seem serious, but they can be signs of something deadly. I would even encourage folks who have a dislocation to carry a card in their wallet stating that fact. If I had lost consciousness and an ambulance had been called, it might have taken longer to get to the root of the problem without my being able to provide a history.”

There you have it. If you are fairly new in your recovery of a dislocated knee, please be aware of the complications that could arise. Watch out for the signs and symptoms and talk to your doctor.

I would also like to thank Lisa who took the time to share her story so that others could learn from it.

Cheers,
Jonesy