Rico - I found your info on supplements really interesting. To be honest I hadn't even thought about what I've been eating since my injury. But my quad atrophy does seem to be taking a long time to improve so maybe I do need to up the protein, either by supps or maybe just eat a lot of steak and eggs!! My normal diet is pretty poor, too many carbs I'm sure.
My PT said that muscle strength doesn't correlate exactly with muscle bulk, but still...
Just off to Sri Lanka for a couple of weeks, where the food is mainly veggies, so maybe I should take some protein supplement - what does that look like, is it a powder (I've never taken any kind of food supplements in my life so I'm completely clueless about these things)?
Cheers, Nigel
Justin - sounds like great progress. Good luck!
Rico - just got me some whey protein powder (tastes disgusting in water, going to try in milk). Also glucosamine sulphate tablets. Assistant said 1500mg a day to have a good effect as a treatment rather than just prevention. This ties in with what Paul Clayton says in his book "Health Defence" (seems to be the bible as far as our family is concerned). He cites 2 studies where glucosamine has boosted tissue healing rates by 170%. So I'll give it a go.
Incidentally he also says chondroitin is a cheaper alternative to glucosamine, but probably less effective...any views??
Cheers, Nigel
Hey Hjumper, could you describe some of those workouts. That sounds interesting. I'm always looking for something new and ways to improve.... Thanks! I figure a little change never hurt anyone.... Man, let's compare some notes !
Smartguy,
How soon after surgery did you start pushing the ROM? I am 4 weeks after surgery, and last week was given 30 degrees, but they don't want to risk pulling it back off the bone (I had a complete detachment). My PT has been limited, and they don't want to start increasing the ROM until I go to 60 degrees (2 weeks away).
Thanks,
Joe
When I do PT, the majority of my pain seems to come from the top of the patella. My assumption is this is because it is the site that the #5 non-absorbable sutures got tied off. Is this what some of the rest of you feel?
I also feel pain on the inside (medial) of the knee where I would not expect it. Sort of over where the hinge is. My therapist is a bit puzzled. She isn't quite sure if it is ligament being stretched which has not had to work much as of late. Anyone else feel a painful "pull" in that region when being bent? This seems especially painful when I'm on my stomach and she is bending that sucker to the point I jump off the table.
Last week I ruptured the patella tendon in my left knee and as you all know my life has changed since that happened. My surgery is scheduled for Monday AM and I feel confident in my OS as he has had 27 years experience in his field. He told me that I would not be able to put weight on it for three weeks after the operation and that I wouldn't be able to start bending for six weeks and that's with the aid of a motion brace. This is NOT arthoscopic surgery, he will have to cut and drill four holes in my patella to fasten the tendon. How much pain should I expect to be in? How long will it last? Will I ever be able to go back to normal? Is this a routine type procedure? I would like to converse with folks out there in cyberspace who have experienced this particular surgery and how they made out and any advice they might have for me going in. John
wow, Smartguy - that sounds amazing to me!
I feel as if I'm going to have to completely re-learn how to walk! Well done!
I wish I could follow your example - but I think my knee might disagree with me!
take care,
S
Smartguy,
I just wrote you a long post and I got timed out and lost it. Bummer.
Anyway, I am very interested in your progress since I too am going with the aggressive route. I'm 11 weeks out and have been on the elliptical machine in the gym for two weeks, stationary bike for one week, and out of the brace for the last week or so (gym is at work like you). Thank the Lord for no more brace. I am currently at 115 on ROM and I do all the little squat movements my therapist has come up with.
I am curious on your patellar tendon. Mine is quite rigid. More specifically, there is not a lot of movement below the patella when I massage the tendon area. Of course the healthy knee tendon is all over the place and looks good. Not certain if this is simply due to swelling. I also feel like I have a ping pong ball below the knee when I walk. Sort of feels strange. I also get a sort of dull ache in the knee when it is bent for more than 20 minutes (like when I drive). As soon as I straighten it out all is fine again. I know this is a lot of information, but I am very very very curious on what types of sensations you have felt and are feeling in the knee so I can compare notes so to speak.
Thanks for any input. Off to the gym.....
Regards,
Marshall
Hi Rosbif
Welcome back to the RPT message board - as a matter of interest what ROM have you reached?
Has your physio ever seen a patient who had a RPT?
Best wishes
JohnK/Manchester UK
OK I am 5 days post injury. My surgery is scheduled for this Friday. OS told me to expect 12-16 weeks before returning to work. I injured myself playing softball. What can I expect as far as recovery and PT. I would just like to thank everyone that has posted here it has helped alot knowing what I got myself into.
Thanks
Shawn
As John stated....
As John stated....
I thought that's what I said. :P
Patricia :)
It has been some time since my last post. I thought I'd give you all an update. I got flashbacks listening to Shawn's stories about post-op. Yikes. I'm certain Shawn will do great since I sense a good attitude about this whole unfortunate situation.
I'm 5 months post-op and I did my military physical training test today (required twice a year). Got my 100 situps in during two minutes, 84 push-ups in during another two minutes, and an 8:40 on my 500M swim. I normally run the darn thing, but due to the knee this was the first time to do the swim. The point is, us RPT folks can make a comeback. I'm still riding the bike trying to get the quad back. It is certainly a slow process as "Smartguy" has said. Walking downstairs is getting a bit easier but still a bit of a challenge. I have to concentrate the whole time. The clicking I experienced is not as bad as before, and the "stuck suture"/"adhesion" thing is still there. The OS said he could put me under and free it up since he wasn't certain what was causing it. I told him I'd pass on another surgery for now. After all, I live in Egypt and am a medical officer in the Navy......Egypt is not my first choice of locations to have surgery. My last goal for now is to start jogging again. My form is horrible and I can't quite hold my weight well. I run on the treadmill for 5 minute intervals while gripping the handle bars things to keep some weight off. Feels strange.
All for now. Keep up the good work and recovery. Shawn, hang in there....it will get better with time.
Regards,
Marshall
It has been some time since my last post. I thought I'd give you all an update. I got flashbacks listening to Shawn's stories about post-op. Yikes. I'm certain Shawn will do great since I sense a good attitude about this whole unfortunate situation.
I'm 5 months post-op and I did my military physical training test today (required twice a year). Got my 100 situps in during two minutes, 84 push-ups in during another two minutes, and an 8:40 on my 500M swim. I normally run the darn thing, but due to the knee this was the first time to do the swim. The point is, us RPT folks can make a comeback. I'm still riding the bike trying to get the quad back. It is certainly a slow process as "Smartguy" has said. Walking downstairs is getting a bit easier but still a bit of a challenge. I have to concentrate the whole time. The clicking I experienced is not as bad as before, and the "stuck suture"/"adhesion" thing is still there. The OS said he could put me under and free it up since he wasn't certain what was causing it. I told him I'd pass on another surgery for now. After all, I live in Egypt and am a medical officer in the Navy......Egypt is not my first choice of locations to have surgery. My last goal for now is to start jogging again. My form is horrible and I can't quite hold my weight well. I run on the treadmill for 5 minute intervals while gripping the handle bars things to keep some weight off. Feels strange.
All for now. Keep up the good work and recovery. Shawn, hang in there....it will get better with time.
Regards,
Marshall
Hello all,
I'm a newbie very grateful to have found this board. I wish I found it several weeks ago, as it really would have helped. Now, I apologize in advance for what will be my long-winded story below but I have some interesting circumstances and I want to get them all in...
I suffered a complete rupture (torn off the bone) and had surgery in Chandler, Arizona on April 1 (also have a partial ACL tear, untouched for now). Shortly before the surgery, my wife was offered a great job opportunity out of state in Little Rock, Arkansas, some 1,500 miles away. The job was so good that we had to take it. She had to be at work just a couple of weeks after my surgery so she left on her own to be there and my father (god bless him) came out to help supervise our movers and to drive me from Arizona to Arkansas in the back of his Ford Expedition. I was in an immobilizer and armed with crutches as we left on April 19 after getting a clean bill of health from my OS in Arizona on April 18.
I arrived with no problems, although I wasn't much help with any unpacking. :) I had an appointment with my new OS just before May 1. I don't remember the exact date, 28th or 29th, but I do know that it was before May 1 because that is when our new health insurance due to my wife's job kicks in...we hope. There has been some talk of nothing being covered because of this being a pre-existing condition, but my wife has researched things thoroughly and seems to believe that all doctor's visits and PT from now on will be covered. My next appointment is set for May 24--should have been sooner but this was the earliest I could get from my new, very popular and successful OS. On my first visit, the doctor said that things were looking good and that I could start to do exercises on my own, start bearing weight on the knee, stop using the immobilizer at home, and start bending the knee up to 60 degrees.
I managed my first leg lift almost by accident while seated in my recliner chair with the leg elevated sometime in April, about 3-4 weeks after surgery. Now I can do plenty of these at a time, and I do them in sets of 10-12. However, I don't think the knee is anywhere close to bending 60 degrees (maybe 30-45) and I'm not pushing it. At home, I limp around comfortably with one crutch most of the time, although last night we went out to do a little shopping for the new home and I took the immobilizer and both crutches. I got around fine but was understandably a little tired after a while.
Now, on to the interesting part. Since we all know that those first few post-op weeks really limit our activities to reading, watching TV and DVDs, and playing on laptop computers, that's what I did. And while doing the last one, I managed to win a seat in the main event of the upcoming World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in July. It's a lifelong dream, and I'm going--my flight out is on July 5 (I've managed to reserve good aisle seats all the way). I know that everyone has different circumstances, but I'm looking for feedback on what my prognosis and best course of action might be from now until then. I spent this evening reading through all 50 pages of this forum and it seems like I'm in pretty good shape for just six weeks after the surgery. Can I generally expect continued, steady progress? I'm sure I'll learn more at my next appointment on the 24th. But most importantly, should I spring for some PT sessions even if they aren't covered by my insurance? Or can I continue to improve steadily on my own? I have no delusions about being anywhere close to 100% by July, but I do need to be able to fly and get around a bit. Oh, I failed to mention that I'm 34 years old, 6'7" and 300 pounds...and the real bummer is that I had been doing really well at dieting and working out for almost two months right before I suffered the injury. I had lost nearly 20 pounds. :-\
Thanks for all of your posts, and thanks for taking the time to wade through this ridiculous manuscript of a first post. I guess my main concern is how much improvement generally occurs from the six week point out to 12-13 weeks, and how much difference working with a PT makes.
hello. just thought i'd introduce my self. i'm having surgery for a ruptured patellar tendon on friday 05/20/05. glad to know i'm not alone.
Hi, I was just wondering if any one could offer me some advice or tell me of their own experience and how long I can expect to have pain and how long recovery may take. I am 54 years old.
I had an electric shock caused by a power surge while I was using a drill that caused a patella tendon rupture & rupture of the quadracep. This happened on 9th Jan 05 they did knee surgery and I was in a cast for six weeks. After that I was wearing a hinged leg brace while April 10th. I have been having PT since 15 March and I am now able to get 100 degree movement in my knee but I still find it hard to do a lot of things like walking up stairs and walking any distance without the aid of elbow crutches.
I am also still having to take pain killers and ibuprofen regulary for the pain and still have some sleepless nights because of the pain after excercise. Has anyone out there had anything similar and got any advise for me has to what to expect for the future. Kev.
Ok I have a really stupid question that I forgot to ask at my last Dr. visit. I am starting PT on 6/3 . Am I going to be in the immobilizer throughout PT or will it come off when I start. Second, what is everyone's feeling of wearing the brace while sleeping.
Shawn
Ouch 3 months before you can bend it. I guess I am not too bad off then. I imagine it is because of the wire. I used plastic wrap (like you use on leftover food) to wrap my leg from the top of the brace to the bottom and then taped off the top and bottom. It worked really well. I was told about the cooler thing but stuck with the ice bag. If you can grab a shower chair it does make things a bit easier beacuse it allows you to just sit there and get wet. Good Luck.
Shawn
I envy each and every one of you! I'll be lucky if I'll ever successfully do a straight leg raise without pain and weakness!
I started PT again on Wednesday at a new facility (same therapist though, thank God), it's nice to have a bit of a change but it will take some getting used to. Apparently my PT told the other PTs at this facility (which, btw, is the same facility that treats the New Jersey Nets and Newark Bears...I already saw a Bear today! :P ) my entire history, they were all over me today asking me questions left and right, it was CRAZY!
I've started out light again because of the whole tonsil thing, which stinks, but oh well, I'm over it now. I have gotten significantly weaker, but it's just something I'll have to work on.
We were talking a lot today about my progress and what we both hope to achieve in the next couple of months. My doctor has high hopes that I'll be able to do a full arc leg raise but seeing as I can't even do a short arc leg raise, it probably won't happen. My PT does also have high expectations for me because I'm such a dedicated, hard worker, but she said we had to be realistic as well. It doesn't look like I'll ever be able to achieve that full arc leg raise, nor will I likely be able to run (we're shooting for jogging someday, but I still cannot walk correctly, so we're working on that). Kneeling and deep bending is also out of the question, heck, we're not even shooting for anything like that.
Everyone keep up the good work, I'm really proud of all of you for doing so well in your rehabs and PT programs. Sure, I'm jealous, but I'm still happy for you all! :)
Best wishes,
Patricia
HI everyone. Well the day after my OS told me I could start to bend my knee is going pretty well. It feels really strange to bend it. I think it is only about a 30 degree bend but thats ok. I get to a point where it feels like my knee is just going to pop out of the skin. It isn't a matter of pain just the wierd feeling. Almost feels like a really wide elastic that I am pulling against. First night sleeping without a brace on felt kind of strange also. John told me it is a normal feeling so I will just go with that. I know I won't try to bend past where I feel comfortable , I'll leave that up to the therapist. I start next Friday and then I will be there 3 times a week. I can't wait LOL. Well hope everyone keeps their chins up. Good luck with your new PT Patricia.
Shawn
Hey Shawn, that's awesome! It's good that you're starting PT relatively soon after surgery....quad strength and ROM are biggies, and those SLR's will do wonders....
I'm eight weeks post op today and here's my update:
My left knee is great....obviously still weak, but the OS has cleared me for more aggressive strength training.
My right knee has some scar tissue which has caused pain and irritation and more swelling after workouts. The ROM is better than 135, but it definitely hurts more than the right knee after walking and standing....it clicks and crunches! The swimming pool therapy has done wonders...
I still do the stationary bike and have begun a more focused leg work out routine at the gym, focusing on ...you guessed it, quads! I'm doing the leg machines with very little weight.
Has anyone out there experienced clicking or crunching on the knee? It sounds worse than it feels, but it's a weird feeling! Anyway, that's it for me....I'm hoping to get back to work the first week of July, which will be right around the 12 to 13 week point----we'll see how it goes...
I wish everyone the best.....this really sucks being a 'gimp' during the summer! :(
Dave
OK so as you know I was cleared to drive and to get rid of my crutches this week. I have been in PT for two weeks now. I am up to 110 degrees ROM and everything is going pretty well. My tendon is pain free, my problem is on the sides of my knee where he needed to suture the retineculum (spelling?). While bending my knee there is tremendous tightness on the sides about mid patella to the patellar tendon area. Up until yesterday it was pretty good as far as the tightness not being an issue. The last two days it has been extremely tight. It doesn't matter how much I ice or stretch or massage it , it stays tight. It was ok during PT today since I get the massage,ultrasound,and e-stim machine. I guess my question is , is this a normal occurence as I get back to moving around. If so how long can I expect it to last ( I know everyone is different just an estimation would be great). Also if you have any suggestions as to how to reduce this tightness. Thanks for your help.
Shawn