Bone breaks around the knee :
How Long To until Weight-bearing? - - Posted by chris941 (chris941), 15 December 2004
hey guys, i chipped off a small piece of the patella and i get the cast off in a few days. Thankfully, I did not have surgery and it's a good chance I won't have to any time soon. I've been in a full leg cast for 6 weeks and i've been able to walk on my knee with no problems at all, walking, completely weight bearing. But I know that is also mostly help from the cast. I was just wondering if you all have any idea if I will be weight bearign when I get my cast off, or is that a long shot?
Posted by HHB (MHB), 15 December 2004
Chris, can't say for sure but in my case (fractured patella, horizontal break into two pieces, open surgery with screws and wires fixation), leg was immobilized -- not casted -- for 5 wks. Like you, was full weight bearing from day 1, walking inside and out the whole time, but with the immobilizer on there, could not bend knee of course.
The surgeon let me out of it at 5 wks, allowed full weightbearing, only restriction was "no exercises with weightbearing on bent knee" -- which meant I had to continue to go up and down stairs like a toddler for a few more weeks, also some of the strengthening exercises in a typical Physical Therapy schedule were prohibited for a while.
Enough bend returned to feel comfortable driving an automatic shift (injured leg was left knee) at 6 wks -- you asked about driving before, I think, worked out fine.
If I had to guess, am thinking you'll be "free" to go soon. Most healed bone is still a bit "soft" after just 6 wks of regrowth, so your doctor may put a few restrictions on your activities. But that is purely a guess, not very helpful I realize.
Best of luck with full recovery of course.
MHB
Updated Thu Aug 21 2008