How is it possible for my soft tissue to make such a noise?

As you may have guessed from the title, I've injured myself again. This time it is my right knee. I went up for a ball (Bill and I played in a co-ed soccer tournament this weekend) and landed on my right foot. Except my body weight has not over my foot. It was shifted to the right. As I collapsed to the ground it felt like my leg folded in half and I heard a very loud cracking/popping noise. As I writhed in pain I heard the people on the side lines saying "That was really loud! I heard that! That is going to be a bad one." Just wanted I needed to hear as I clutched the grass and hoped I would pass out. Eventually Bill and others got me to calm down and carried me off the field.

A trip to the ER, a couple of Vicodin, and some x-rays later we know that nothing is broken. But 48 hours later my knee has blown up and lost all definition. I can not bend it and although I can bare weight it feels pretty unstable. The Orthopedist won't see me for another week. She says there is nothing she can do until the swelling goes down. I am on a strict regimen of ice, compression, and elevation. My ankle has to be higher than my knee, and my knee higher than my hip. Bill was kind enough to dig out all the old pillows for me. I rotate them between the coach and the bed.

I am so curios about the noise my knee made. It was so loud in my ears. I hope the orthopedist has one of those cool model knees that I can look at and see which part of my knee made that noise.