Fractured patella x2 - hardware is out!!!

[fatcats6]

Hey Kevin,

Isn't the weight gain a pain in the butt.  Unfortunately, we all turn into couch potatoes when the knees give out and unless you cut your food intake to just about nil, here come the fat cells:)  Diabetes makes it doubly difficult for you, my Dad was a diabetic, so I know all about it.  As long as you don't turn into Fat Albert, you'll be ok in a few months when all the rehab kicks in and you're sweating buckets. 

My oh my am I jealous of the fact that you had no pain when you first drove.  I have a geared car too and getting my foot off the ground and onto the clutch was a real challenge.  When the brace came off the first fractured leg (surgery one), I couldn't lift my foot off the floor and always had to lift my leg onto the bed, couch, bath....this time around, I didn't want such weak muscles, so i've made myself use my muscles more...it hurts abit but the end result should mean I recover better on this current 2nd fracture.

I can use one crutch too, but decided I'd better follow my OS instructions to stay on two, it's only another 10 days and as I appear to be a complete klutz, I'm not tempting fate.  My son calls me vertically and spacially challenged, would appear to be very accurate.

I reckon the clicking is the hardware...who knows what you shifted around when you fell the 2nd time.  Make sure you let us all know what the OS says.

Adrienne

[Ryan Renee]

Adrienne,

Oh yes, I'm back to work.  I had my 2nd surgery end of July which put me on the couch for the last month of summer (I teach).  I had a solid 4 weeks at home.  The 1st time around I was only home 2 weeks after surgery and I now realize that wasn't enough.  I was so anxiious to get back to work though!!!  It was so funny when school started up in August and all my coworkers see me in a brace: "What!?!  Brace again?!?"  Luckily they drove me to and from work (again) and were so helpful!! 

When will you be able to return to work? 

[fatcats6]

Hey Ryan,

I'm hoping to be back at work at the end of January 09.  I don't have anyone to give me a lift to work, so I have to be able to drive myself, and work won't let me come back until I can sit with a 90 degree bend in my knee.  I think I should be able to get there by the end of January.  I have a fracture clinic appointment on the 2nd of December, and am praying that I don't get any nasty surprises and there's no ligament or tendon damage = no surgery and I can start PT again and get the poor old knee bending again.

How on earth did you teach in a brace...I've just hit week 5 and am still spending most of the day in bed, aside from going to the toilet and into the kitchen a couple of times a day.  Mind you, that's exactly what my OS said I should be doing.

Was rehab easier the 2nd time around or just a yucky?

Adrienne

[Ryan Renee]

Good luck next week!!!  I'll be thinking happy thoughts for you!!

The 1st time I went back to work way too early, 2 weeks, but didn't really know it.  I have a stool that I sit on but remembering to NOT walk or stand was so hard.  The kids were very helpful in that department though!  This last time I had 4 weeks at home (end of my summer) and luckily I had the first 2 months of school all planned out and ready to go!!!  Whew!!!  On the first day of school I was very honest with my students and asked for their help.  I also asked my parents to encourage their child to be on their best behavior, especially for labs.  Teaching science is a little tricky because you really need to be mobile and clearly I was not.  The kids were great and now that I can move around far more than the beginning of the year (not to mention much faster!) it surprises them sometimes, when they are off task and think I'm not watching!  haha!!  Little 7th grade stinkers!! 

I also keep entising (spelling??) them that I have the coolest x-rays to show when we get to bones and muscles!  The last set I had were taken before they removed the staples so you can see a line of all 26 staples.  SO COOL!!!  I also have my screws/pins from the 1st surgery but I haven't revealled that yet.  They are ALL OVER anything gross!! 

[fatcats6]

Where's your thread so I can stop hijacking this one Ryan?

[ksaunders]

Have been back on my cross-trainer for the last few days.  It actually feels so good.  Don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I can actually feel that my patella is stronger - don't know if it is just my mind.  My ROM is now at 130, so I am very pleased.

I am hoping to be able to go back to work in 2 weeks - will see what the OS says on Friday.

[fatcats6]

I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that you refractured on the 6th of Nov and at the 24th Nov you have 130 degrees ROM.  When did you get the brace off after the 2nd fracture?  When did your OS start you on pro-active PT?

Adrienne

[ksaunders]

The brace came off last week.  I only had the brace on to walk with.  My surgeon wouldn't allow any exercise for the first week.  When I saw him after the first week he sais I couls start doing exercises again - static stuff at first and to start more active stuff as I felt I could.  This is the first week that I have felt confident to do more exercise.

Looking at my second fracture x-ray it didn't fracture all the way through - my accident caused a crack - so the fracture opened up in the bottom part of my patella (I have a y-shaped fracture from the original accident - it was the horizontal fracture that opened slightly).  He said that the metal was holding everything together really well so it would be my pain threshold that would stop me exercising.  He said that I should be able to do more as the swelling went down.  Thankfully, the blood clot that was caused this time has disappeared really quickly.  I have been using arnica, in tablet form and cream, to help with the bruising and it seems to be working.  I have also been taking another herbal remedy called 'knit-bone' which apparently helps speed up the bone healing process (I took this the first time as well).  I think that I have my ROM back because I was aggressive in getting my leg working/knee bending almost straight away - as much as I could tolerate).

It is the strength in the leg, which seems to have gone further backwards, that is really frustrating - didn't have much quads after the first time - seems worse this time.  Means I lock my leg a little when trying to walk, giving a slight limp (didn't have one after I got rid of the crutches the first time).  I am really working hard to correct this by focusing on the way I walk.

I think that I've been incredibly lucky this time as the damage to my knee, whilst bad, is no where near what it was first time.  As the majority of my knee is holding together my OS thinks it has not set me back too much.

[fatcats6]

Incredible....I'm using Arnica and a herbal preparation too.  I know traditional meds are a help but I find natural therapies alot more gentle, not quite as fast acting in the beginning but much more effective as you continue using them.  Mind you, most of them taste like cow manure:)  I have a Fracture Clinic appointment on Dec 2nd.  It's always a anxious time waiting for that appointment, hoping everything is ok and scared stiff I've ruined the groove in the back of the kneecap or stretched the ligaments and tendons so badly that they're just useless noodles.  I'm hoping for just an Xray and no need for an MRI, brace off and PT to start. 

This injury is alot different from the last one.  I can stand on both legs and feel stable but I've not tested the knee at all.  Time will tell.  Keep me posted on your progress, you really boggle my mind.

Adrienne

[ksaunders]

Been back to the OS today to see how things are going and he's cleared a few things up for me.  Had an x-ray taken and things are steadily improving, which is really good.  The clicking sound I am experiencing when I have my leg bent right back is not hardware, it is a tendon that is flicking over to the outer edge of my leg just above the knee - said it is nothing to worry about as it is not causing pain. 

I can start light weights on my leg, but must take it easy - will be working with my PT next week on that.  I asked about a lump on the knee that I have that annoys me and he said that it is the hardware.  He said I can have it out next year if I want.  Said it would be by key hole surgery but that is a long way off yet.  He told me to take the exercising easy as the bone is still healing.  Will be on my static bike and x-trainer daily now, which I actually enjoy in a strange way. 

I am now driving again - what a nice feeling, and with no pain.  I am going back to work next week - should be fun (am a teacher of boys aged 11-19).

I know that I have a long way to go, but I am glad things are at last moving in the right direction!

[fatcats6]

Congratulations on a good outcome from your appointment...it's always a relief when they're over and everything is going according to plan.  It's amazing that the tendon can make that much noise, but good to know what it is and you can let it go and not worry anymore.

The hardware can be a problem, I had mine out at 17 weeks post op and the recovery time was about a week.  The biggest tip I have for hardware removal is to sit with your knee at 90 degrees post op so your incision is stretched as is heals, it'll minimise the keloid scaring. 

Driving.......oh boy, driving sounds really really good to me right now.  Excellent news that there's no pain, that's a good sign.

Hope your first day back at work isn't too tiring and that your knee stays nice and small and doesn't have any swelling.  Make those energetic boys be your Runners.

Adrienne

[ksaunders]

Am now crutch free and have full ROM, including extension - a big relief!  Hopefully my next visit to the surgeon on the 9th Jan will bring good news about the 2nd fracture healing well wnough to start some weight exercises.  I am now doing an hour a day on my exercise bike and cross trainer, which both seem to be helping the muscle development.  A long way to go, but at least things seem to be going in the right direction this time!

[ksaunders]

Been a while so thought I would update on progress.

Saw surgeon on 9th Jan and began gradual weight exercises.  Physio altered exercises to suit lower quad development, which has been slow.  The exercises have worked very well.  When I went to physio 3 weeks ago she gave me the target of running by today.  I actually started last Monday, so have now been doing half mile runs (not much but a definite start) for 5 days.  Began with running for 2 mins then walking for 1.  By day 5 ran the full amount without stopping to walk.  Today I ran 5k (3 miles) and am absolutely delighted.  I can slowly begin to see the lower quads developing - my physio has been excellent helping this.  13th March is the date set to discuss with surgeon taking out my hardware - any boy do I want it out.  Will keep you posted.

Kevin

[ksaunders]

Thought I'd give everyone an update.

I saw my surgeon last week and he has agreed to take the hardware out - just waiting for a date now.  He said he will have to open up my scar to get it out, but expects me to be walking straight away - we'll wait and see on that one.

I am continuing with my running - doing 5k every other day.  Knee actually feels really good when running uphill.  Physio is very pleased with quad development, but it just seems to take forever for a little improvement.  Can't believe I am now 6 months post-op for first break, and 4 months for the second one.  If I walk too fast my leg locks out so I have to keep remembering to walk correctly.  My physio says it is because of a lack of lower quad control and the lower leg hyper-extending.  Stairs are becoming easier, and I can actually run up stairs now, sometimes doing a couple at a time - feels as close to normal as I can remember.  I will post more when I find out when I'm having metal out.

Kevin

[ksaunders]

Got a phonecall from the hospital today to say they have a slot on Saturday to remove my hardware! Am going for a pre-op assessment in a couple of hours.

Can anyone tell me how long it took for their range/strength etc to come back after hardware removal.  My surgeon reckons it will put me back between 4 to 6 weeks. I have got my full range of motion and am running normally now and just wondering how long it took others to beack to where they were pre hardware removal.

Kevin