Q: My son aged 16 years crashed into an iron gate and in the process damaged one of his ligaments in the right knee. There is no damage to bone as per the X-ray. I consulted an orthopaedic surgeon who insisted plaster, which I refused as he is in Class X and busy in studies. On refusal the doctor suggested crepe bandage, vovoron gel and vovoron tab etc. for 15 days. Now my son feels little pain while climbing stairs and absolutely no pain while walking. Please advise further course of treatment and whether plaster is a must for recovery or whether it will be cured automatically after few months?

A:Your son should rest his knee for 3 weeks ideally to ensure best healing. Any external support may be used (POP, brace, etc) for the same. X-rays do not show soft tissue injuries but an MRI does. If your son has pain, swelling or instability around the knee, MRI may be needed to pin-point the problem. The bottom-line is do not take knee injuries lightly.