Exams and Tests

Depending on how the knee looks, you can expect the doctor to check the injury in the following ways:

• X-rays: X-rays will be taken to make sure there are no breaks in the bone.
  
  
• Examination of pulses: Injury to the arteries in the knee is common with this injury. The doctor will make sure there are pulses in your foot (the place the artery in your knee runs to).
  
  
• An arteriogram (x-ray of the artery): This x-ray may need to be done to make sure there are no injuries to the artery. Some medical centers may also use special ultrasound or Doppler (sound wave) machines to assess the blood flow in your arteries.
  
  
• Examination of nerves: Nerves also run through your knee, so it is possible that they may have been damaged. The ability to feel touch and to move certain muscle groups are the main ways nerves are tested. Specifically, the ability to move your foot up and down and to turn your foot inside (inversion) and outside (eversion) are important muscle movements to check for. Any feeling of numbness is concerning for nerve injury.