OET Listening Part A: Runner’s Knee Assessment

Ryan Henderson?

Please come in and take a seat.

My name's Cathy.

I understand from your GP that you've got a problem with your knee?

Oh, hi there.

Yeah, that's right.

It's just the left knee, just below the kneecap.

It started about four weeks ago.

I first noticed it when I'd go for a run.

I'd get this sort of niggling pain, which would get increasingly worse.

It's gotten to the point where sometimes I even have to cut my run short.

Does anything else seem to aggravate it?

Yeah, actually, going from when I'm sitting and then standing,

or when I'm sitting at a desk with my knee bent,

I really feel the pain then.

It's not very sore at the moment, but it seems to be getting worse as the day goes on.

It doesn't wake me up when I'm sleeping or anything like that,

but it seems to go away during the night, and I suppose that's why it feels better in the mornings.

Okay.

Do you have any other symptoms like pins and needles or numbness in your knee?

No, nothing like that.

Do you have any history of injuries or accidents that might account for the pain?

Well, I cut my left knee pretty badly climbing over a concrete wall when I was younger.

But that was about 15 years ago or more, so I don't think that would have anything to do with this.

It gave me a pretty crazy scar though.

Ah, I see.

Other than that, I've just had your typical sorts of injuries.

I broke the little toe in my left foot playing football when I was about 10.

Ever since then, I've had to wear shoes a size larger.

Then when I was about 25, I twisted my right ankle playing squash and ended up breaking a small bone just here.

What's it called? Is it the fibula?

Oh yes, that's right.

Okay, and... but it's been fine, haven't had any problems with it since.

Then just last year, I broke the little finger on my right hand playing rugby.

Totally unexpected that was, and...

I almost forgot, I've had this bursitis in my left hip.

And when was that?

Last year I saw one of your colleagues actually for some physio treatment

and they said to take a break from running for six months, which I did.

I did a lot of stretching and I started doing yoga twice a week.

It seemed to help so I was able to start running again after Christmas.

And is the Positis better now?

Yep, there's no pain in the hip.

Now it's the darn knee that's giving me grief.

Yeah, well can I just get you to stand for me and put your full weight on your left leg?

Yeah, sure.

Tell me, how does that feel? Any pain or discomfort?

Yeah, I can feel it is a bit niggly just at the front of the kneecap.

And I do feel a bit of pain.

And if you do like a little half squat, bend your knees and come back up.

What's that like?

Oh, ow... I can feel a bit of pain in both knees actually.

More in my left knee, like a sharp pain.

But there's definitely a little ache in that right knee now as well.

I'll just try standing on my left leg again and see what that's like.

Oh, that really hurts.

A lot worse?

Definitely.

Okay.

Can you sit on the side of the bed and I'm just going to test the muscle strength.

I want you to push your right leg out against me as hard as you can go.

Is that okay?

Yeah, okay.

It's harder to do with my left leg though.

Like it's weaker or something.

Like I can't get enough power through it.

That's really strange; I hadn't realized it was that weak before.

Well, Ryan, I think I know what's going on with your knee.

It appears that your kneecap is a little bit out of alignment.

Oh, wow, okay.

And how does that happen?

It can occur because the ligament, which we call the iliotibial band,

it's gotten a bit too tight on the outside of your thigh.

And in your case, I can see that there is some minor swelling on the outside of your left knee.

Which means there's some underlying inflammation there.

I guess that explains the pain then.

Seems like my days of pounding the pavement might be over.

I might have to find some other way of getting my exercise.

That's really disappointing.

I've been into running since I was in secondary school.

Used to be on the cross-country team and everything.

But now it seems like every time I lace up, I get problems.