Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[tonestone]

  YEAH!!! 
 
This weekend is the start of my 2012 softball season (THE COME BACK YEAR for obvious reason)

Before I ruptured my Patella Tendon - I played a lot of softball (not your typical weekend warrior).  During the past 5 years; I played on 7 teams in 8 or so leagues (summer) and on 2 teams (fall).  I averaged over 170 plus games a year.  Most professional baseball players don’t play that many games and they get paid.

After my RPT injury most of my friends and a lot of the guys I played against though I was done because getting injured at my age 47, most guys would give up.  Not ME!!!  Guys would ask me will you miss playing or are you thinking about coming back  and my favorite are you going to coach now?  Well that was all the motivation I needed to prove to them I was not done.   I am 2 weeks shy of 9 months and continue to go to the gym 3 times a week because it’s a way of life and it will help in the long run.  It’s been tough but well worth it, I already played in 7 game so I know I can do it!!!

Less softball – YES!!!

I will be cutting back to 3 teams (summer) and 2 teams (fall) so I should play in 90 plus games, it’s going to be a big adjustment but I can live with it. I am going to play which is the most important part for me.  I plan on playing as long as I can or as long as my body allows me.

To all the new member’s things will get better and it comes with time, as we all know it’s a long road to recovery.  Like John K (John42) always mentions Patients is the key.  Listen to your OS, PT and most importantly YOURSELF it’s your knee.  Keeping a positive attitude is the only way to get by this, remember every person is different so don't gauge your progress against others use what they have done to assist you in knowing that you too will get there with time.   

Good luck and take care

[John42]

Well done Tonestone - but listen to your knee, and work up speed slowley


Take care

JohnK/Manchester UK

[rider_down]

Thanks Guys! I hit 60 degrees today so that was an 8 degree pick up from Tuesday.  I appreciate the advice and help.

[dustyloads]

Hey there knee pain warriors, i'm new here. Here's my story. I'll keep it very short. Blew out my patellar tendon March 11, 2012 playing basketball. I've had patellar tendonitis for at least a decade and I guess my knee finally had enough. Anyway, I had surgery March 16th, 2012.

I feel like I'm coming along okay since surgery. I would love to check out the info that seems to be circulating regarding this whole process as I plan to do a lot of PT on my own--as much as possible at least.

I'd appreciate any advice. This forum has already been very helpful. I look forward to learning more from you guys as we all go through this process.

-Dusty in DC

[John42]

Hi Dustyloads

Welcome to this unique club - important that you read some of the previous posts on this thread to get an idea of how to recover from a very serious injury with a long rehab.

If you let me have your e-mail address, I will let you have a collection of documents, which will enable you to understand your injury, and the rehab procedure.

Take care PATIENCE

JohnK/ Manchester UK
Jkramrisch@aol.com

[ketdizzle]

Hi all...it has been a while since I have visited and posted (3 weeks since last post). Started my PT 2/23/2012 and I am up to 102 degrees and began 2 weeks ago (no weights yet). This week I will start with ankle weights (1lb at start and move up per PTs discretion) on leg raises with foam roller under knee to get my quad going. I also started hamstring strengthening by sitting in the chair and tying a resistance band around the ankle and pulling the leg towards me. I feel like its good progress and the tightness mentioned in my previous post is gone. I am walking with my Berg brace unlocked up to 30 degrees and no longer have a limp =). I feel confident I can walk fine up to 60 but will not rush it and in about 2-3 weeks the OS said I should be out of the brace.

I hope to visit more and provide updates and motivation to others. John, I will be sending you a PM with my email address.

[Republic]

Ok this is where I am right now:

I had surgery Dec 8th, so I'm just shy of 4 months post-op.

The biggest improvement since my last post has been PT getting me running again.  I'm only doing 8 minutes at 6.2 mph on a treadmill -- which isn't much, I know, but it's coming back slowly.  My knee doesn't feel too terrible when I run.  It's obviously tight & feels weird, but I can run again! Otherwise, I've been cycling 60-90 minutes a day trying to get my quad strength back. I generally rode 2hrs a day prior to my injury. My injured leg/quad looks to be about 80% of my uninjured side.

I can do stairs effortlessly & with no pain and I seem to "forget" I ever did anything to my knee when I walk now.  Patellar mobility seems like it's back to pre-injury status... but there's still swelling around my knee... which I'm assuming is normal. That I can deal with.

So, about 3.5-4 months to get back to running for me!

[redontherocks]

Hello. 
I discovered this site tonight while looking up information on a ruptured patellar tendon.  This has been a wonderful help.  In 11/2010 I had an amputation due to a car accident in 2007.  1/5/2012, I had a total knee replacement and tendon repair on my amputated leg.  On 2/14, due to a high fever, I passed out in bed, fell out, breaking open my knee, breaking the artificial knee and completely rupturing my patellar tendon.  I can't wear a prosthetic for at least 6 more weeks, so pt is out until then.  The last couple of days I've had really strong burning pain in the area of the tendon.  I didn't have much until now.  Is this normal?  Does it flare up at times?  I notice putting pressure on my quad relieves the pain.  I've only been using a fiberglass ski and ace bandage to stabilize it, as everything else fell off of my residual limb. 
I'm really glad I found this.  After all of my surgeries, this has left me with the most pain and questions.  I'm 42, have always been active, until right now.  Even when I was in the chair.  So, it has been good seeing how many are back to being active. 
Thanks!
Traci in Nebraska

[John42]

Hi Traci

Welcome to the RPT injury thread -  I have sent you a collection of documents which will enable you to understand your very serious injury and the normal rehab procedure.  Keep asking questions - we are all here to give you positive help.

A long haul to recovery, but with care and PATIENCE, you should reach a reasonable ROM.

Keep posting and keep your head above water.

Take care

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[redontherocks]

John, thank you for the documents -- I read through them.  They will be very helpful, especially when I am given clearance to move my knee.  I've been told that won't be until middle May or early June.  My OS said that my tendon is holding on, but barely.  That is why he is being so strict with movement.  Monday I see a new OS, he specializes in revisions.  I asked about PT and he said we are not worried about that right now, that we have to focus on getting this tendon to attach.  It has been 4.5 years since I ruptured it, without repair.  I've been walking on the prosthetic for over a year with a knee that was lacking extension due to the tendon.  It is no wonder it was so easy to re-rupture on 2/14.  So, I am not thinking this will be a quick rehab.  I am just glad to have found some people who have gone through it to give me some idea. 
I do have a question.  My OS described to me that the tendon was attached with something he described as being spider like.  It spread out to allow the tendon to wrap around it.  Does anyone know what he is talking about?  I was too out of it to understand.  I keep forgetting to ask him and am very curious.  I can't seem to find anything on the internet that fits this description. 
I would be bored, but, I live with a group of senior citizens that can play some mean cards.  Anything to entertain and get my mind off this.  If this tendon doesn't take, it is an above knee amputation -- which, hey, plenty of people walk with.  But, if I've gone through all of this, I want to use that tendon and knee, right?    

traci

[John42]

Hi Traci

If you read some of my documents, I think that you will find that the OS has drilled 4 holes in your kneecap (patella), and interwoven the repair with WIRE sutres to secure the torn tendon.

You must however must take great care not to rerupture the tendon, as it is very fragile for the first few weeks.

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[tonestone]

Hi Traci here are some pictures and a video, hope this helps.  Visit these links below not for the faint of heart

http://www.hindawi.com/crim/orthopedics/2011/569363/fig3/

http://www.orthopaedia.com/display/Main/Allograft+Reconstruction+of+Extensor+Mechanism+Disruption+after+TKA

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dObUc64CA5dczbP27aH2dQ

http://vimeo.com/23285694



Good Luck!!!

[tonestone]

I goggled this info about 9 months ago before my RPT surgery, which is how I found this forum.  I try and post images when I can and also provide updates when I accomplish a major milestone. 

Good luck and take care

[Amsterdam_Paul]

Quick update.

5 weeks post op.
7 physio sessions in past 2.5 weeks and physio managed to get my knee to 70 degrees today. The goal from doc was 60 degrees in 4 weeks, but agreed to allow to push to 90 if possible.

Scar healing well with good movement in it. Minimal pain when manipulating knee.

All in all very happy in short time. But still a long road ahead....

Paul

[That Kid Kyle]

Hi guys,

I have read through this forum for a while and this will be my first post  .  It has helped me out a lot and it’s nice to know that there are other people out there going through the same injury and being so helpful to one another.  So I thought it was only fair that I shared my story in the hope it will help someone else. 

I ruptured my patella tendon at the end of February playing American Football.  Although American Football is a collision sport I had never had an injury before, not so much as a broken finger!  Then this happened... GREAT!  I went to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham as it is right next to my University and everyone there was very helpful.  I tore my tendon on the Saturday, had surgery on the Sunday and was sent home on Monday in a full leg cast.  The doctors told me I had tendonitis in my knees already and I badly tore my tendon.  The injury was devastating to me at first, It's my last year at University and my team is on the way to the National Final, I play for Great Britain and we had trials coming up and I was going to play professionally in Germany this summer.  All of these things now were off. 

As someone that trained 5-7 times a week it was a real shock to the system to be so limited in my mobility.  I'm 6ft4 and having a leg cast was horrible!  I'm so used to being independent, but I needed help putting my clothes on, getting in and out of bed and going to the toilet was like a mini adventure!  But I got used to it with time and realised that if I wanted to play again it was worth putting up with!  I was in the full leg cast for 3 weeks and then put into a lag brace at 40 degrees for 3 weeks.  It was nice to get air to my leg after so long but it felt really, really weird!  I was very protective over my knee and the swelling was immense, it looked like I had a shot put attached to my knee.  But the scar looks cool that all that counts right?!. 

My brace has now gone to 90 degrees however I can't bend that far yet due to my tendon being stiff and a lot of swelling around my knee, but it feels great to be able to bend it more and more each day.  I start my PT on Thursday and can't wait to be able to start making progress.  I’m still on crutches and non weight bearing on my leg as my doctor wants to take things slowly due to the severity of the tear.  According my PT meeting I should hopefully be walking normally in 6-8 weeks and back running in 5-6 months!  I feel like I am making progress every day doing small quad exercises and bending by knee small increments at a time.

I never knew that an Injury like this would take so long to recover from.  People have come up to me and said "I tore my ACL I know what you are going through".... I WISH I tore my ACL right about now!  It's a day by day process and I'm aiming to be able to play in a tournament in Italy in summer 2013.  John K has been very helpful sending me documents about the injury and reading previous posts has kept me thinking of a full positive recovery. 

The best thing I can say is take it slow and go at your own pace, every injury is different and every recovery takes a different amount of time. 


Kyle