Traumatic knee hemarthrosis in an adolescent skier

Traumatic knee injuries are common in the pediatric population. However, traumatic hemarthrosis that requires arthrocentesis on initial evaluation is uncommon in the adolescent age group. We present the case of a 14-year-old male skate skier who was brought to clinic with right knee pain and a large effusion immediately after a patellar dislocation event that resulted in a significant chondral injury. This patient benefited from an arthrocentesis which yielded 167mL of bloody aspirate. This provided significant relief from pain and discomfort while he underwent subsequent MRI and Orthopedic evaluation. Our case demonstrates that, in an adolescent patient who can tolerate joint aspiration without anxiolysis or sedation, a bedside arthrocentesis can be a helpful adjunct to initial management of a traumatic knee injury.