Introduction
Knee care · Knee injury
Injured your knee? What to do next and how to ask for an early appointment
Dr Sean Leo · Orthopaedic Surgeon (Specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery) · Clinical Interest: Knee Conditions, Injuries & SurgeryMBBS, MRCS (Ed), MMed (Ortho), FRCSEd (Ortho)
Dr Sean LeoOrthopaedic Surgeon, Singapore
Clinic enquiries · Not an emergency service
Illustrative image
Check the urgent signs first, then ask for help.
Check the urgent signs first, then ask for help.
Check the urgent signs first, then ask for help.
If you have just injured your knee, check the urgent signs first. Each sign says what to do: go to an emergency department or call 995, or arrange an urgent same-day assessment. For other knee injuries, same day/early appointments possible: enquire, tell the clinic team what the issue is, and the team will try its best to facilitate.
Seeing an orthopaedic surgeon about your knee does not mean surgery has already been decided.
OrthoKinetics is Dr Sean Leo’s professional brand. Clinical consultations and treatment are provided through OrthoSports Orthopaedic & Sports Surgery.
What’s covered on this webpage
Follow the route in order, or jump to the stop you need. Stops you have read are marked.
Which knee injuries is this page for
Which knee injuries is this page for
Which knee injuries is this page for?
If your knee has just been hurt, in a twist, a landing, a collision or a kneecap that slipped out of place, you do not need a diagnosis to ask for help.
Three injuries have guides below: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, meniscus tear and kneecap dislocation (patellar dislocation). For knee pain without an injury, read Knee pain: when to see a doctor.
A note on each injury
- ACL tear: An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear often happens during turning, landing or a sudden change of direction, and the knee may then feel unstable. It does not automatically mean that you need an operation.
- Meniscus tear: A meniscus tear can follow a twist of the knee.
- Kneecap dislocation (patellar dislocation): An episode of kneecap instability is usually felt as the kneecap slipping partly or completely out of its groove. Partly is called subluxation; completely is called dislocation.
When should you go to an emergency department
When should you go to an emergency department
When should you go to an emergency department?
Check the list below before you ask for an appointment.
- OrthoKinetics does not provide emergency or urgent care through this webpage or its WhatsApp contact.
Signs that need urgent help
Some symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment. Each item below says where to go.
After an injury
- The kneecap has slipped out of place and is still out, or the knee looks deformed. Go to an emergency department. If the kneecap went back into place by itself, arrange an early assessment.
- The leg looks twisted or bent, a bone is showing, there is a deep cut, or the foot or leg turns cold, pale, numb, blue or white. Go to an emergency department or call 995.
- You cannot lift your leg up with the knee kept straight, and you may feel a gap just above or just below the kneecap. Arrange an urgent same-day assessment.
At any time
- The knee is stuck and will not straighten, or it is very painful and you cannot move it or put weight on it. Arrange an urgent same-day assessment.
- The knee is suddenly very painful, hot, red and swollen, especially with a fever or feeling generally unwell. Go to an emergency department or call 995.
- One calf or thigh is newly painful and swollen. Arrange an urgent same-day assessment. If you also feel short of breath or have chest pain, call 995.
After knee surgery
- The operated knee becomes more painful, swollen or red, a wound is leaking, or you develop a fever. Contact your surgical team straight away. If you cannot reach them the same day, go to an emergency department. If you feel very unwell, go to an emergency department. If you are short of breath or have chest pain, call 995.
If you are admitted by the doctor at the urgent care centre of one of these private hospitals, the Parkway Pantai hospitals (Mount Elizabeth Orchard, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Gleneagles and Parkway East), Farrer Park Hospital and Thomson Medical Centre, you may ask for Dr Sean Leo to be your attending orthopaedic surgeon. If you are instead discharged and referred for orthopaedic follow-up, you may contact the clinic to arrange an appointment. Both are subject to the hospital’s admission processes and to Dr Leo’s availability.
When is it reasonable to ask for an early appointment
When is it reasonable to ask for an early appointment
When is it reasonable to ask for an early appointment?
After a knee injury, same day/early appointments possible. Enquire, and tell the clinic team what the issue is. The clinic team will try its best to facilitate.
It is reasonable to enquire after a new knee injury. Early assessment is sensible after a kneecap dislocation, so the knee can be examined while the picture is clearest. Being assessed is not a commitment to surgery. If a sign marked “Arrange an urgent same-day assessment” in the list above applies to you, enquire and say which one. For a sign marked “Go to an emergency department or call 995”, go there first.
If the clinic can’t see you that day, the clinic will advise on what you should do next.
A knee that is stuck and will not straighten should not wait for a routine appointment. It needs an urgent same-day assessment, as the urgent signs above say.
Structure / Patient / Goal
Structure / Patient / Goal
Deciding together
Structure / Patient / Goal
Three short answers help the clinic team.
S
Structure: what is affected?
Which knee is it, how did the injury happen, and when? Note what changed afterwards.
P
Patient: how does it affect you?
How does the knee behave now, and what can you no longer do? Can you walk or put weight on it?
G
Goal: what are you hoping to return to?
Which activities matter most to you?
Your plan
A short description is enough. You do not need to name the injury.
How do you enquire about an appointment
How do you enquire about an appointment
How do you enquire about an appointment?
- Call Orthosports@Novena or Orthosports@Connexion, or message the clinic on WhatsApp.
- Say it is a knee injury. Tell the staff what the issue is, using your three answers.
- Or use the form in Final next step. It asks only for your name, email and contact number. Do not include symptoms or medical details in the form.
- The clinic team will try its best to facilitate.
What happens at the first visit?
What happens at the first visit?
What happens at the first visit?
Assessment brings together the history of the problem, examination of the knee and any tests that are useful for the question being considered. The exact assessment varies with the concern.
Bring relevant reports or images if you have them, details of previous treatment and a current medicine list. Consider noting which activities matter most and what you want to understand.
Consultation fees are set out on the costs page: Costs, insurance and MediSave, explained.
Find the guide that fits your injury.
Find the guide that fits your injury.
Find the guide that fits your injury.
Choosing a card does not confirm a diagnosis or mean that its treatment applies to you.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
ACL injury, reconstruction and recovery options
Meniscus tear
Understand meniscus injury and repair options
Kneecap dislocation (patellar dislocation)
Kneecap dislocation and assessment
Further reading:
Costs and insurance
Costs and insurance
Practicalities
Cost, MediSave and insurance
A cost estimate for surgery can be given only after a consultation and assessment, once a surgical plan has been developed. A surgical estimate separates surgeon, anaesthetist, hospital or facility, implant and consumable costs, and the MOH publishes national fee benchmarks for common procedures. For how costs, MediSave and insurance work in Singapore, see Costs, insurance and MediSave, explained.
Insurance panels. Dr Sean Leo, Orthopaedic Surgeon, is on the specialist panels of Great Eastern (GE Panel), HSBC Life (HSBC Life Shield) and Singlife (Singlife Shield), and on the Prudential Panel. AXA Insurance Singapore became part of HSBC Life in 2023, and former AXA Shield plans are now HSBC Life Shield plans.
Corporate health plans. Dr Leo is on the panels of both Alliance Medinet and iXchange, which administer medical benefits for many company health plans. If your company plan uses either panel, you can see Dr Leo as a panel doctor.
If your company uses a different panel. Some company plans still let you see a doctor of your choice outside their panel, then claim reimbursement. This varies from plan to plan, as may the co-payment, so please check your benefits with your company’s HR department.
Panel arrangements change from time to time, so please confirm with your insurer or your company’s plan administrator before your appointment.
Dr Leo is on the panels shown. If your insurer is not listed, you may ask whether co-management with an Orthosports surgeon partner on that panel is clinically and administratively appropriate. Orthosports surgeon partners are collectively on the panels of all Shield plans.
Specific benefits, pre-authorisation, reimbursement and cashless treatment depend on the individual policy and insurer approval and are not guaranteed.
To book, use the appointment section at the end of this page.
Arrange a consultation: the appointment section is further down this page.
With you through the seasonsMeet Dr Sean Leo
Meet Dr Sean Leo
A consultant orthopaedic surgeon whose clinical focus is the knee, sports injuries and the lower limb.
- Dr Sean Leo is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. OrthoKinetics is his professional brand; clinical services are provided through OrthoSports Orthopaedic & Sports Surgery at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre and Connexion, Farrer Park Hospital.
- His clinical interests include sports injuries, including those in adolescent athletes; ligament reconstruction; realignment surgery; cartilage repair and joint-preservation approaches; knee replacement; and technology-assisted hip and knee surgery.
- The consistent aim is to return people to meaningful function and activity while avoiding unnecessary downtime.
- Qualifications: MBBS, MRCS (Ed), MMed (Ortho), FRCSEd (Ortho).
More detail: Meet Dr Sean Leo
- Training and career: Dr Leo trained in medicine at the National University of Singapore and served in the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps from 2000 to 2012, where his work included the care of soldiers in physically demanding roles. He completed postgraduate orthopaedic training in 2009 and a one-year clinical fellowship at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia, before joining Changi General Hospital as an orthopaedic consultant in 2012, where he later held the positions of Senior Consultant and Director of the Hip and Knee Service. With seniority, his educational contribution has evolved towards mentorship and support for junior doctors.
Final next step
Final next step
Next step
Final next step
Reading about a problem is a starting point. An assessment brings together the history, an examination where needed and any useful tests, and helps you and your clinician decide what to do next. Remote consultation is possible only when it is suitable for you and your problem. It has limits, and you are seen in person when that is needed.
If a sign in Signs that need urgent help applies to you, go back to that section.
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Arrange a consultation
Appointments are arranged through the OrthoSports clinic team. Send your details below, or message or call the clinic.
Leave your details and the clinic team will reply to arrange a time.
Message the clinic on WhatsApp
-
38 Irrawaddy Road, #10-41 Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Singapore 329563 Map for Orthosports@Novena (opens Google Maps)
-
1 Farrer Park Station Road, #15-17 Connexion, Singapore 217562 Map for Orthosports@Connexion (opens Google Maps)
WhatsApp is for clinic enquiries only. It is not an emergency service and is not monitored for urgent care. Website or messaging contact is not an emergency-response service. For a medical emergency, use your local emergency service.
- OrthoKinetics does not provide emergency or urgent care through this webpage or its WhatsApp contact.