Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[djmooney]

I had to cut my PT session short today as I had a lot of pain at the top of my knee cap.

Has anyone experienced pain at the top or above their knee? We were working the VMO pretty agressively on Tuesday so I wonder if it has something to do with that.

Paul

Most of my pain is in the area at the top of the knee cap.  PT says that it's quad tightness/knotting.

[djmooney]

Djmooney,

Remember that you are the one paying for your PT sessions and you are the patient. No matter what, you ultimately have to deal with the injury when the day is said and done, not your therapist. If you and your physio are not in sync, then you should seek a second opinion. A lot of us in the medical profession may not like it when the patient has a little bit of knowledge, but if the provider cannot take the time to explain to you why they are headed in a certain direction then they are also unlikely to change course if something is not on par. The internet is full of a lot of false information, but there is also a wealth of knowledge that is available which costs a lot less than a visit to the doc.
I have not switched PT offices, but I did stop going to sessions where I was not paired up with the therapist who I normally see there. I am scheduled 2-3x per week right now, and cannot always get in to see him. He has a doctorate in PT, and like I told the board members earlier, he sees over 30 cases of PTR a year. The other 4 physios there also see lower body injuries, but not nearly as much as he does. I didn't' feel like I was getting much when I saw his colleagues, and was not willing to continue paying to go for sessions "just because it was scheduled".
For me personally, I talked with 4 different OS's before settling on the one who did my surgery, but being a physician myself probably made for me being so picky. The one I went with is probably the least aggressive with post-op therapy, but also had the lowest complication rate with the actual surgery and very few re-ruptures. To be honest with you, a lot of the information on this board has been just as good as what I have heard at follow up visits with her Physician Assistant. I don't think the members here can really steer you wrong.
Anyways, chin up. I'm sure no one on this board felt they would be "back to normal" when this happened, but you can read a lot of great success stories. I was still able to dunk up until 15 minutes prior to this thing happening, and my OS says that I should be able to do so again. I believe her. If you don't have confidence and faith in your treatment regimen then you might as well just stop right now because you aren't going to push yourself. That being said, if you can find someone else you vibe with better I think you should explore the option.

I thank you for this.  I've decided to e more vocal at PT.

ROM is at 64, brace unlocked while sitting.  I tried to pedal but couldn't get enough of a bend to work through it.

[kylenewell]

D, i got a system now!  I hobble over on my crutches, bad leg in brace, line up the toilet and sit back so leg is still straight, although in our bathroom its small on the first level so I have to leave the door open haha.  I just let the leg stay there straight on the ground.

on a second note guys, I spoke with the number one strength coach in the world yesterday...Louie Simmons.  I own a gym as well for serious athletes so I speak with Louie frequently.  He had this same injury in the 80's and said he walked into his docs office 8 weeks after surgery without crutches and they couldn't believe it!  He stressed movement as soon as you are ready is critical and gave me a bunch of rehab ideas.  Don't let this be a 1-2 year injury guys.  I know some of you probably aren't strength training fanatics, but louie squatted 900 the year after his surgery.  Also look up Jim Hoskinson's story, I have been in touch with him too as he is helping me through the whole ordeal.  Simply unbelievable comeback story from a double rupture!

Be positive guys!  -K

[redcoat82]

Thanks DJ, I rested for the weekend and went back to physio yesterday and had no problem. My strength was where it was last Tuesday, so I guess I lost a week..will teach me for pushing too hard.

I was wearing a DonJoy playmaker, completely unlocked, with a ring around the knee cap. It was very tight and the ring was rubbing both my tendon and the top of the knee. My PT thought it may have been contributing to the pain, so I took it off. A day later my knee feels a lot better, and I just walked the dog for a half hour with no braces or crutches for the first time in 2 months.

[MinorSetback]

Hello All,

I am a newbie to the message boards, so please bear with me.. I have been reading about this injury for about 2 weeks now and I am finally able to post. I recently ruptured my Patellar on March 4, 2012, playing a flag football charity event at Giants Stadium. I must say, I have played football all my life, from college to the pros and I never sustained a major injury. I get out and play around for a few minutes and "POP" there goes my knee.. The OH CRAP factor begins.. At first, I didnt really know the seriousness of it.. I didnt feel much pain.. I just couldnt bend it once the field medics straightened it.. Then once the doc told me that I needed surgery it was kind of depressing..but anyway, enough with that... Since then my progress has been:

Surgery March 4, 2012
First PT March 30, 2012  (ROM 35)
8th week PostOP results (ROM 110)

After a couple of PT sessions, I was finally able to ride the stationary bike for the entire time... I tell you, there first time trying was insane.. I didnt think I would ever get the full cycle. If I could give a word of advice to all the people have just had this injury, do your workouts the PT gives you at home.. I'm constantly trying to bend my knees.. every now and then I'll walk with the brace off in the house, but I kinda get nervous if i slip and fall.. so I try not to do it.. Anyway, sorry for such a long post.. Its good to see that I am  not the only one going thru this... I wish you all the best and speedy recovery..

[Second_time_around]

Hi guys, yes really second time around ripped my Patellar tendon! 

On Sunday eve 8 April I slipped getting out of our Off road caravan and recognise the too familiar snap on my way down!  Right foot tried to keep me up, sprained, patellar dislocate and snap!  Told my husband to take me straight away to the hospital where I got my left knee surgery the previously.  So I had my surgery the next day around 12:00.  My brace is set on 30 degrees, which I find strange, because with previous rupture it was locked.   I got some exercises from the PT, but since they are approx 180kms from us, I cant visit regularly.  I really need some advice on rehab and also want to know when I am allowed to carry full weight on my leg according to you guys?

See my left leg got injured in 2007 and did two OS’s misdiagnosed my injury, did they put me in braces, different degrees etc.  Where after an OS’s finally solved the issue in 2008 April and operated on it.  After all these rehabs, I really cant remember what I am suppose to do when and how exactly.

I can only say that this time around I had much more pain for the first 9 days after surgery and was it swollen like hell.  I however started to massage my knee very hard (although very sore) all around swollen areas and does it looks much better in a shorter period than previously.

I would however like to hear everyones input and ideas on all and John your info would be very much appreciated 

Take care

Gerda

[John42]

Hi Gerda

welcome to the RPT thread, this was not around when you ruptured your tendon first time round - very rare indeed.   As you know, you are in for a long haul to recovery, PATIENCE and don`t push it.

I have sent you a collection of documents which will enable you understand your injury and the rehab procedure.  Read with care, together with some of the previous posts on this thread.

ASK questions, lots of buddies to give you advice.

Where do you live?

Take care

JohnK/Manchester UK

[Second_time_around]

Hi John

Thank you very much. I did receive your info and will go through all tonight 

I am from South Africa, staying in a small town approx 150kms South from Johannesburg.

I will most definitely pop in tomorrow with a few questions, thanks for the offer!

Take care

Gerda

[djmooney]

Minor Setback.  I was on the bike for the first time this week and I could only rock back and forth and it was very painful in the quads/top of the knee.  During the next session my PT manipulated scar tissue and got the kneecap moving a bit more so I was able to actually peddle on the bike which felt like a huge accomplishment.  I'm up to 90 degrees with the CPM which I have to send back this Monday and I'm bummed out about that.  I can sit know with a bent leg and move about without my brace. 

I'm a very skinny guy 6'1" 155lbs so I don't have alot of weight bearing down on the knee which helps I think.  I'm sort of amazed at how rapidly things progress since I've started bending and exercises.  Two weeks ago my knee and lower leg were extremely swollen.  Now no swelling except for the knee and I can sit in a chair almost normally which has made work a lot easier. 

[dieselcut]

DJ,
Sorry to hear about you having to send back the CPM. For those of us who are motivated though, which it sounds like you are, it shouldn't be that much of a blow to your rehab. My OS and Physio both endorse that for the first 6 weeks after surgery it does help with increased mobility. However, a lot of studies show that at 6 months there tends not to be any significant difference in groups that use them vs those that don't. I was actually pushing to have one sent home with me after surgery but my OS was convinced that this would do nothing more than add costs onto an already sizable bill. Now at 13 weeks, my ROM is 135 degrees and using a peddler/min bike daily has likely been just as good as a CPM in my humble opinion.
I just got cleared to start doing closed chain exercises and did 15 sets of leg presses yesterday. I have still been icing my knee every night (have not taken one off since surgery) but really needed it last night! If anyone is interested, I also am going to try out a squat program that I found online by a fellow PTR sufferer. I am not saying it is good/great or endorsing, but I figure someone with more experience might be able to lend some thoughts.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/squatrehabprogram.htm
Happy rehabbing everyone

[djmooney]

Diesel I was just looking at peddle excersizers.  Which one have you (or anyone else) bought?

[dieselcut]

DJ, the one i went with has suited me well. I am sure that there are others out there that are truly catered towards the athlete who wants his "down time filled with high intensity working out". This machine does not serve that purpose, but it does help you to extend your range of motion. I am on it for about 30 min to 1 hour every night.
Others please feel free to comment on your likes/dislikes of mini peddlers, and your ultimate decisions.

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Equipment-Pedlar¨-Workout-Exerciser/dp/B000C4OHXU/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331856969&sr=1-6

[John42]

No doubt whatsoever - this floorcycle helped me so much -I got mine from a UK manuafacturer, but despite having searched all over, I cannot locate it any more.

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[dieselcut]

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Equipment-Pedlar¨-Workout-Exerciser/dp/B000C4OHXU/ref=sr_1_6?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331856969&sr=1-6

Sorry again fellows, for the link to work you have to highlight the entire thing and then copy/paste it into your browser. For some reason it keeps posting with only a portion underlined.

[redcoat82]

Gerda, I too am on my "second time around" and it is interesting to see the differences in treatment even on the same patient. I am currently 9 weeks post op. My post surgical protocol was weight bearing right away with no ROM for 6 weeks. I was walking without crutches around the house almost immediately, but kept them when I went outside for the entire 6 weeks. I found that my mobility was really good, and end up walking a lot, including walking the dog and going to my kid's ski races.

I had my brace unlocked at 6 weeks and started physio, and eventually stopped wearing my brace at 8 weeks.

I had my ROM measured last week at 110 degrees, so I don't think the lengthy immobilization set me back, and I think the weight bearing helped greatly. I am riding the stationary bike for 20 minutes a day.

As mentioned in Kyle's post above, I did upper body workouts (I am not a body builder) frequently since about 3 weeks post op and I believe that has helped as well.

Good luck with Round 2.

Paul