Question about my knee "popping"

[Mark Hax]

Last night while rolling, a guy had me in Lockdown. I went to twister side control to free my leg. The guy grabbed my other leg and pulled, making me do a front split. I'm flexible so it didn't hurt... And then my knee popped. It didn't hurt at the time, but was tender later. Today it hurts a bit more, but I can walk. My question to guys with experience with knee problems is, "Can a knee "pop" and just be strained or pulled? Or does it go right to tearing acl or lcl?"

[Brandon Woolsey]

It can be a sprain but you should get it checked by a DR. I sprained my acl a couple of months ago from stretching, I know its stupid, but I still am having problems with it.

[AJ Camacho]

Any physician knows how to perform a basic knee diagnostic to make sure that you didn't blow anything. So at least go to a walk in clinic if you can't afford a sports doctor.

I'm not a doctor, but from the action you described it sounds like you may have sprained your MCL and/or LCL (the inside and outside tendons). I banged up my LCL and later that evening I had trouble bending my knee however my knee was completely stable and rock solid. The doctor told me that I may have sprained my LCL and that the soreness or tenderness along the side of my leg should be my indicator for the state of my leg. Essentially, come back if it gets worse and stop using it.

So now I'm training with 2 knee braces on (to help restrict leg movement) and minimizing how often I flex my knee. That seems to be doing the trick. Oh.. and ice and ibuprofen (no more than 20 minutes at a time with the ice).

(Oh, and that wasn't a recommended remedy for you. I was just relating a personal account. I think you should go to the doctor.)

[Jason Mallory]

Sorry to hear about that. As a general principle, always free your leg from the lockdown before setting up any pass or leglocks.

[John P]

My leg popped like a month ago(training and the guy i was rolling with pushed my leg down while i was going for a triangle). I didn't feel anything at first and every hour that went by i had pain and wasn't able to bend the leg as much. Not really sure what happened but it took like 4 days for the leg to be able to completely bend without pain.

[Dominik]

are you able to straighten your leg as much as the healthy one? if not (or if you feel pain when training) there is swelling in your knee and depending on the direction in which your knee popped you can tell whats injured. the bad thing is that no "drawer-test" (thats how we call it here) performed by an physician or doctor can tell you if your acl is gone and they got no way at all to tell for shure if your meniscus is damaged. mri is the save way when it comes to knees or shoulders ...
if you can straighten and bend your popped leg the same way like your healthy one and its just hurting a bit it can still be the meniscus but probably the ligaments are just bruised or strained

[Mark Hax]

I can bend and straighten the leg all the way. I can bend my leg inward and do the foot to knee stretch without pain. Moving the leg outward like a hurdler stretch hurts, but stops when I bring my leg back to straight. The pain is on the inside of the leg, at the knee joint. I'll see a doctor if it still hurts after a couple days, or gets intense. I was looking for past experience guys have had, and un-official opinions. I appreciate the input.

Jason, I was doing the "breaking the lockdown twister pass" and it's worked well for me. I concentrate on keeping my head down to avoid him wrapping my neck and having to rewind. I wasn't even thinking about him grabbing my free leg and didn't know it was a defense to the pass. Eddie didn't say anything about the free leg in the three part video. My guy said he saw it on a MTS episode, but I don't remember seeing it.

[AJ Camacho]

if you can straighten and bend your popped leg the same way like your healthy one and its just hurting a bit it can still be the meniscus but probably the ligaments are just bruised or strained

thanks for the info

[Brian Hoback]

I had a similar thing happen a few days ago.

Had a friend from work over to roll a bit on the mats in our basement. He's had a few amateur mma fights, but not a lot of jiu jitsu work. I had him in the electric chair and couldn't get a tap... so I am passing his leg over my head to go to stoner control, and there are two LOUD cracks that come from his other leg that I have in the lockdown. Everyone in the room screams, and I think that I've somehow snapped his tibia and fibula. Turns out the snaps came from his knee. He could still bend it and it seemed ok initially, but after awhile it stiffened up and got pretty tender.

He saw a doctor yesterday and got an x-ray and nothing was broken; he's supposed to be getting an MRI in a few days to see if anything's torn. Shit happens but,