Updated Medical News

Has a wonderful birthday present yesterday - the final opinion on the injury problem and the recovery program. After a week or so of MRI's and bone scans and then doing it all again for a closer look it was diagnosed as a severe stress fracture of the left femur at the rear just above the left knee.

The good news is that no surgery is needed to pin it as was originally thought and some other problems that were a possibility were eliminated. Crutches were suggested but I declined the offer. Swimming and gentle bike riding are allowed unless there is pain.

Expected recovery time before starting to run again 3 months. No plans as to when I will start racing again as clearly it depends on the rate of recovery. I do not intend to come back too soon - I have said 'I must be patient' and that I intend to be.

Having said that I would love to be fit enough to walk/run Fitzroy Falls marathon and to be at the start for a very very controlled run/walk over GNW100. But I will not come back too early as I want this recovered and behind me in one go.

Over and out until I start back with some running.

Medical News

I have done little running since the SMH half because of persistant left knee pain that despite rest has become quite a bother. It seems as if the problem is :

Lunge Lesions
The "lunge lesion" is an isolated injury to the femoral articular cartilage in the groove (Trochlea) through which the patella runs during knee flexion. It is the result of high shear and compressive forces produced by deceleration of the flexed knee, with co-contraction of the hamstrings and quadriceps muscle groups. This roughened articulating area produces a painful, grinding sensation as the flexes leading to joint irritation and swelling. In severe cases this damaged area requires an arthroscopic chondroplasty to smooth the roughened articular cartilage.

Below is a link to a site if you are interested in the mechanics of the knee - I wasn't until now. Top diagram (left) they have peeled away the patella (the knee cap) and dropped it down. There is a grove in the larger bone that should be smooth so that when the patella and the fumur move over each other it is pain free not rough and painful like mine.

http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp05001.htm

Doc and I have concluded this is more likey the problem. An MRI will fill in the last piece of the puzzle and then hopefully off for the operation and back around the Bay. When not sure but not soon.

Running gait etc thoroughly checked out with no abnormalites detected - conclusion was that my mechanics of running a very good and that is probably the reason I have had no problems in the past. Cause of this problem - not determined - but the opinion was that it not directly caused by any running 'bad form'. He did then ask my age again and just nodded so I suspect old age is making its first appearance, dam. Looks like the body will implode before the mind.