Comminuted fractures in both knees patella + femur fractures

[Rollerblader]

That's fantastic!!!  So happy for you!  Sounds like the MUA was the right thing for you!

RB

[Suejs14]

Hey - I LOVE good, happy, successful posts!  So glad your vein's doing well, your extra (painful) pins are gone and your knee is bending . . . but mostly that your pain is zipped!  Congrats - and enjoy!

Sue JS

[acg]

Before leaving the hospital, I reached the CPM limit, which was 125ª, with no pain.
I am now going on with PT and it seems it works pretty fine. I can bend up to >125º sitting and I can use the static bike (which I couldn't use before the MUA). Only problem is when the PT makes me lay face down and bends my knee. In that position I only can bend the right knee to 90º and when he pushes further, it hurts like hell. Does that happen to any of you?

[debjoe74]

Dear Gca, RB, Sue, and all Kneegeeks, I got the ok today from the os for hw to come out. I am going to wait 2-4 weeks to schedule surgery since I'm only 5 mos. postop. But it's happening! Deb

[floridanightingale]

Awesome news, Deb:)

[acg]

Quick update, 5 months from the accident today.

I started to go to the pool this week, trying to recover my devastated quads. In the water I can raise straight my legs and can walk easily (no limp!), the doctor said it should help to cheat on the brain make him no to forget how to do these movements. I also try to swim crawl, although it hurts when moving the legs. Today I swam like 25 pools, I walked for another 15, plus the leg exercises.

Did anyone of the shattered-patella club go to the pool? Did it hurt at the beginning? Did it helped to improve? Which exercises should I do?

I keep going to PT daily. I can touch my bottom with my left heel when lying down, ~110 with right one. Both legs still hurt when walking, but walking up stairs is easier now (going down is still a nightmare , that's the reason I still carry a crutch).

My OS said on the last visit I should consider waiting for a year now to remove the hardware: he believes I can have a regular life (he said even running!) with the pins and wires and wants to wait to remove the hardware on my knees at the same time he takes away the Küntscher rod in my femur. I really think he's gone nuts, it's gonna be 6 months soon and my patellas are already healed (he said so when watching the last RX 3 weeks ago), I want it out ASAP!

[acg]

6 months now and good news, I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel

PT is going quite well, just today I reached my back with my right heel when lying down, so now I have full ROM in both legs. Anyway, the right one feels like stiff when walking. Little pain in both knees, the PT says it is the hardware. Working on the quads with some limits due to the hardware, the pool really makes the difference (how come I didn't start earlier?) here.

Best news is my hardware is finally going out on April 10. That would be 7 months from the accident. Hope after that, I can recover much much better and faster I am also getting rid of a chip of my right femur which was not reduced with the intramedullar rod and hurts on the quad.

About the surgery, how is gonna be the swelling? Does it hurt when bending? How long after walking? Remember I have both knees damaged, so I am afraid it might be hard at the beginning, would like to avoid going back to wheelchair and this stuff...

[acg]

I've been willing for too long to post this message, but finally the hardware in my patellas is gone, forever!

I've been in hospital for 4 days. The surgery day I was not allowed to get up from bed (mostly because I was under spinnal anesthesia), but from day 2 I was allowed to walk around as I tolerated. Both knees little swollen and very stiff (because of the wound), but I already feel the difference! I believe they start to be my knees again, they are back

Doctor and PT said I should rest until monday at home, trying to bend as much as possible and ice it continuously. Be back on PT next week, can't wait to start again and recover finally from this nightmare

[floridanightingale]

Wonderful, WONDERFUL news, ACG!!!! Wooooo hoooooo! H/W removal surgery is a piece of cake compared to the surgery when the put it in, isn't it??  I felt a difference right away, too. It will only get better from here.  The first couple months were a little tough for me, mostly because I was afraid I would fall and reinjure myself, but it really is such a joy to feel like you are well on the road to recovery.  I am one year post-accident (comminuted patellar fx), and am doing well. The first few months after the HW removal surgery, I took it pretty easy--long walks, light exercising, a little swimming (my surgeon actually told me not to run until the 1 year mark).  Finally, about 3 weeks ago, I went for my first jog. I only made it half a mile, but now I am up to 1.5 miles (which I follow with a 1.5 mile walk).  The jogging has been the best thing for my knee. It is helping with the stability and strength, and believe it or not, it has helped a lot with the stiffness and residual pain.  I will not be doing any strenuous hiking this summer, but I plan to be back on skis next winter and hiking vigorously the following summer.  This injury is a reall a** kicker, so ACG, I commend you for soldiering through double the trouble, and getting through to the other side!!! Congrats, and HAPPY HEALING TO YOU!!!

~FN

[acg]

Hey there, almost 10 months post ORIF. Still off work and limping, going to PT and the swimming pool every day.

Left knee is fine: I feel it like irritated and it feels stiff when walking. Stairs are way better, even going down. Can kneel on this knee on soft surfaces. The quad is getting better, but still weak. Absolutely full ROM, pain free, except for rigidity when walking.

Problems show when talking about right leg.

The femur fracture is well healed but the rod was covered by bone in the insertion point, near the hip. That makes me limp and hurt on the hip, as if something is nailing in there. Doctor said nothing can be done until the rod comes out (which will never be earlier than 18 months since the ORIF) It really hurts going up stairs and in some exercises during PT.

The knee on that leg still hurts: can't kneel on it and it hurts when I press it. Almost full ROM, although the quad is very very stiff, can't touch my back with the heel by myself (I can if PT does it). It also hurts going up stairs, still can't go down using this leg Moreover, the rigidity in this leg is even worse than in the left one.

It's been very long since I had my accident and still on pain. My OS says the right knee is fine, so nothing else can be done on it. I struggle myself everyday on PT, but neither the right knee pain nor the stiffness in both legs seem to progress.

I was wondering if something similar happened to any of the shattered patella club members or if anybody could put some light for me here.

Thank you folks!

[acg]

Been away for a while, bad news bringing me back Started working on september 2012, but never back to full-activity life.

Had surgery on mid december 2012 to took my femur rod out (15 months after first ORIF). It solved the hip pain, which is much much less than what it was. Getting better of this every day it lasts Muscular tone in the gluteus helps.

However, very bad news from knees. They both still hurt, specially the right one. Quads and harmstrings are almost to the same point they were prior the accident, so more PT was not helping at all. Going to the gym 4 times a week, light cycling and no quad exercises at all (forbidden by rehab doctor).

My OS was not paying much attention to my case and refused to do anything else, so I needed another point of view. New OS ordered an MRI, said never to give a diagnostic without it, while first OS always considered it unnecessary.

Just got the MRI results: grade IV OA in BOTH patellofemoral joints and inflammation on the left patellar tendon.

The new OS will be visiting me next wednesday, but pretty freaked out. Las visit he said it was a hard case and not much could be done. He talked about cortisone shots, hyaluronic acid shots or patelofemoral joint replacement (sic, I'm only 26!!!), but insisted to first see the MRI. He said PRP shots do not work and he won't do it.

I will be also visiting a 3rd doctor in 2 weeks now. Hope some of the new ones could help on pain relieving.

What can I expect? Do I have any good option?
Any help is appreciated ^_^