fell on knee cap

Hi...I fell hard on the sidewalk on my right knee cap and I immediately had swelling and a large amount of fluid on top of the kneecap.  I was not able to bend my knee at all.  I elevated it for several hours and put ice on it.  I tried to get up and my right foot turns dark blue and the veins stick out and start to swell immediately, the swelling i n the knee returns immediately even though it goes down a little bit with elevation and I still can not bend it. Is this just a bad sprain, or does it sound like something more.  I'm a nurse but never dealt with orthoped. issues this doesn't seem right, but the swelling abatement with the elevation is somewhat reassuring.  I am continuing to elevate it and ice it but every time I get up the symptoms return and the pain is unbearable.

Thanks,

C

[dr_simran]

Hello Dear,
You should consult a orthopedic physician and go in for a x-ray to rule out any internal trauma,fracture ,ligament injury .Keep your leg  elevated , you can take some NSAID for pain releif.Unless any investigations are done the treatement cannot be decided.You should get it evaluated.
Best

[torque]

I did this a couple of years ago on the ice. My knee instantly bruised and swelled. I didnt go to the docs, I waited it out (it was on the weekend, and I didnt want to pay emergency room rates). Within a couple most of the swelling had gone down. I stayed off of it as long as I could. It hurt really bad! I took a lot of motrin and a lot of ice. If you can just stay off of it, do that. Wait another day or so and see how you are then. Best wishes to you!