Question

Mrs. X was getting out of her car, when she slammed the car door on her knee, hurting it quite badly, even though there was no broken skin or bleeding. The knee became very swollen and painful within the first couple of hours, making it difficult to walk, so Mrs. X went to an emergency room to check her knee. 1. Explain what happened here at the cellular level (use the inflammatory reaction cascade to answer step by step). 2. When Mrs. X came to the ER, the X-rays of her knee were taken, revealing no fracture. Doctor recommended ice packs to help reduce the swelling. What is the purpose of the ice packs? Explain at the cellular level. 3. The doctor also prescribed Ibuprofen for inflammation and pain. Explain how that helps at the cellular level.

Answer 1

1. The slamming of the door on the knee has caused trauma, which has causd inflammatory process to start, ultimately leading to swelling.  

When inflammation occurs, white blood cells releases chemical substances in the blood or the traumatized tissue. some of these chemicals causes leakage of fluids into the interstitial space, causing the swelling.

2.Applying any cold objects , like ice or cold water on the swollen area causes vasoconstriction, which reduces the blood flow, and also the chemicals that are causing swelling in the tissue. This helps in reducing the swelling, it hepls in the reduction of pain too, by causing numbness.