Joint hypermobility disorders :

hypermobility and knee cap dislocations? - - Posted by smelton5 (smelton5), 15 September 2004

I suffer from hypermobility and also dislocating knee caps.  I have been trying physical therapy to strengthen my VMO's since I was 8 and it has not been successful at pulling my kneecap back into the "normal" position.  Does my lack of success in PT have anything to do with my hypermobility?  I am now headed in the direction of a LR at the end of this year.  Any insight would be nice!  Thanks!

Stacy

Posted by HK_Aubie (HK_Aubie), 11 December 2004

I'm not the best person to be giving advice, but I've noticed a lot of people on here have had bad experiences with LR.  The patella realignment on my left knee included an LR, and it wasn't 100% successful, but I did have a dramatic improvement.  It is still hypermobile, but I went from having numerous subluxations and disclocations in a year with that knee to only a few subluxations in a year and, within a couple years after surgery I started averaging one or two dislocations a year on that knee.  

I know very little about PT - I've never found it to be very helpful, except in regaining mobility after surgery, but my docs had me doing PT on my own - I never saw a physical therapist until this year (7 yrs after my last operation).
Posted by shadehawk (shadehawk), 15 December 2004

I thought that if you had hypermobile patellae you were not to have an LR surgery.   I was told it would make my knees worse.
Regarding PT, I have been going myself since May this time round and have been doing home exercises since 2002 and my both kneecaps still sit on medial side of leg when I stand up.  PT has kept me mobile though, so never, never give up doing your straight leg raises, half arcs and heel slides.  That is what has been drilled into my head by the therapists that have treated me.
Do you have a tilted patella?  
Posted by tensing (tensing), 18 December 2004

I've atleast 5 physio's over the years and the first four were terrible, the last one was great though, my knees are so much better.
Posted by nmcbride (nmcbride), 24 December 2004

Stacy

I would maybe think on getting a second opinion, as far as I'm aware, like some of the others have mentioned, I don't think a LR is going to solve your problems.  My kneecaps are extremely hypermobile, I had a LR on the first one and it did actually make things worse.  The only reason a LR should be done is for a patella tilt (anyone correct me if I'm wrong), so unless you have a patella tilt a LR is not going to solve anything and may make it worse.  I had to go down the route of a TTT for both knees as it was the only thing that would keep my kneecaps in place, therapy alone didn't work.  Get another opinion, do some research, ask questions, go back armed with loads of information and questions.  Good luck.

Natalie.
Posted by smelton5 (smelton5), 25 December 2004

Hi guys!  Sorry I haven't been around lately to answer your replies!  School and work have been keeping me busy.

I finally found a Dr. in my area that specialized in knees and knew what he was talking about.  He did tell me that because I am hypermobile, that the last thing I want to do is get a LR and make my joint more loose.  

He did tell me that my VMO is very stretched out from all of my dislocations and that is why PT isn't working for me.  So I am headed for a VMO advancement on 01-12-05.  Thanks for all of your help.  I am definitly glad that I went for 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinions!

Stacy
Posted by shadehawk (shadehawk), 25 December 2004

Stacy glad to hear that you did not go ahead with the LR and got another opinion.

Good luck to you on your upcoming vmo surgery.

Let us know how you are doing?  

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