Bone breaks around the knee :
How common is..... - - Posted by Timo (Timo), 7 October 2004
...it for hardware..ie pins and wire to move out of place after a patella fracture?
I am getting some strange pains that come and go and am trying to identify what they are....
Posted by kgrosskurth (Kathy G), 7 October 2004
Sorry that I cannot help you - just wanted to welcome you to KneeGeeks and know there are a LOT of Patella fracture folks out here who will probably be of help. Wishing you all the best in your recovery! 
Posted by hkssuppie (hkssuppie), 7 October 2004
What's weird is my surgeon said that between 20-30% of people that have plate and screws have some of the hardware back out a little. He said that the chances weren't all that high before that statement. I don't know bout you, but seems kinda high for me
Posted by Bobbi (Bobbi), 8 October 2004
Hi Timo
It's been 7 months since I fractured my patella and ripped all the tendons etc (Still haven't got the correct medical terms from my specialist!)...I had 2 sets of tension wire banding and 2 pins in. In the past month or so, one of the bands have broken, and although my mobility (bone) seemed to be freed up, the pain is increasing. After a couple of trips to the OS, I am still none the wiser! Obviously they have told me that they can't go in at this point as its such a crucial time, but they have given me no explanation as to what is causing this.
I, of course, have my own ideas, based on the sensations and when the pain comes. It feels to me like the broken end of the wire is catching on the nerves/tendons/ligaments etc. Despite the enormous amount of indifference, I have to say that I am going to see a private specialist to see what they say. Something is definalty moving! And definatley not right!
As so much on here, it's another case of lack of answers and unknowns. What's happening with you? What's moving?
Sorry that this blurb is not much help to you, but i'm going through similar thoughts! 
Posted by Bobbi (Bobbi), 8 October 2004
on 10/08/04 at 13:23:18, Bobbi wrote:Hi Timo
It's been 7 months since I fractured my patella and ripped all the tendons etc (Still haven't got the correct medical terms from my specialist!)...I had 2 sets of tension wire banding and 2 pins in. In the past month or so, one of the bands have broken, and although my mobility (bone) seemed to be freed up, the pain is increasing. After a couple of trips to the OS, I am still none the wiser! Obviously they have told me that they can't go in at this point as its such a crucial time, but they have given me no explanation as to what is causing this.
I, of course, have my own ideas, based on the sensations and when the pain comes. It feels to me like the broken end of the wire is catching on the nerves/tendons/ligaments etc. Despite the enormous amount of indifference, I have to say that I am going to see a private specialist to see what they say. Something is definalty moving! And definatley not right!
As so much on here, it's another case of lack of answers and unknowns. What's happening with you? What's moving?
Sorry that this blurb is not much help to you, but i'm going through similar thoughts!
Posted by Timo (Timo), 8 October 2004
Hi Bobbi..
I am only 2 months post operation. I feel a pain just above my kneecap..it is not always there, it genuinely comes when my leg has been bent and I straighten in out.
It has only started happening these past couple of days which coincidentally is when I have started doing a lot more physio and therefore bending and lifting the leg a lot more than I have been in the 2 months up till now.
Really bugging me becuase everything was going as smoothly as it possibly could do up till now.
My physio has also told me that my hardware will be coming out fairly soon ?! You still have yours at seven months..? What is the normal time for hardware to be removed?
Posted by Bobbi (Bobbi), 8 October 2004
Hi
My injury was really quite severe - I was catapulted 45 ft onto the pavement where I landed on the corner damaging my knee and then bounced up and over, hit and fence and then back down into the road - all because some silly girl pulled out in from of our fireblade (note to all Pillions - hold on adn prtect your knees, however slow you are going! ) Because of this, I was off work for 18 weeks and had to learn to walk again. The pain was excurtiating from day one right through to the end of the 3-4th month, as I couln't bend at all.
If your pain has come back rather than stayed, then maybe it's worth getting it checked out. I actually felt that exercise on a static bike helped loosen things up - the mobility part, even though it did sometimes ache afterwards. What kind of pain is it? Is it near your hardware?
My hardware is still in as I said, and when of the bands broke, although it hurt initially, it actually felt like the bone was much free-er. My pain has got worse (after about 2-3 weeks of the band breaking) and it is a very sharp pain - feels as though the band is ripping the muscles etc - I would say, try to work out what it feels like and tell your OS or PT. I think that PT's see more of the patient than the knee, where as the specialist sees only the knee.
Im very frustrated as the OS is not taking into account what i am saying and just concentrating on the fact that the hardware hasn't migrated or become infected. When I was about 2 - 3 months in, as it stated to heal - my leg used to seize up at night while I was asleep. As it started to bend,it would bend while in bed and then cramp - I jused to wake up screaming and have to force my leg straight by pressing really hard on my thigh. Maybe yours is similar?!
I have no idea how long the average hardware stays in. For me, I have been told that they can't go in and take it out until at least a year has passed. This is the critical time for the ligaments etc to be healing and would only do more damage. Did you damage anything other than the bone? Some people I have talked to have said that it really helped having the HW taken out, but I haven;t spokent o anyone who has had it as quick as you are talking about.
Updated Sun Sep 7 2008