Ruptured Quadriceps Tendon

[LiL Italy]

Hello Griceberg;

It was about 6 to 8 months after I hurt my Quad when they repaired it.  But it has been 4 years plus since I hurt my knee.

[Griceberg]

Hello Griceberg;

It was about 6 to 8 months after I hurt my Quad when they repaired it.  But it has been 4 years plus since I hurt my knee.

WOW! Sorry to hear that. I had to wait 15 days to have mine fixed, and I thought that was absurd. According to most of the research I have done, it should be repaired within 48 hours.

[bill.cochrane]

Hi all,
it`s been 17 months since I completely ruptured my left quad tendon after an awkward parachute landing but I am now fully recovered and have been jumping since last April. I have kept up my gym membership and have recovered my quad muscle mass which I lost due to enforced inactivity following injury. I also thought I would not be able to do the physical things I enjoyed prior to the quad rupture but if you want something badly enough and are prepared to put in the work it will happen. when I returned to skydiving I was careful and worried that a fast landing might put me back to where I was but now I know that the repair is strong and do not even think about that anymore. Just keep the faith and work at getting what you want and you will be back doing the things you see others doing normally that you are currently unable to do without a lot of effort and some pain, (like walking without a limp).

Good luck everyone.
Regards
Bill from Oz

[bluefinz]

Just checking if this strand is still active.  I noticed the last post was in March.   Just had the misfortune of rupturing my quad. Surgery coming on Thursday.   

[John42]

Hi

The thread is very much alive, but no posts received for some time.

Wishing you will for your upcomming operation.

Let me have your e-mail address and I will let you have some documents giving you an idea of the post op rehab process.

How did you do your accident?    Where do you live.

Best wishes

JohnK/ Manchester UK
[email protected]

[Daren]

Hello all, had my left quads tendon repaired 7 and a half weeks ago..... lovely scar!!!
Is it me or do the health care professionals not have a clue regarding the rehab.
I've taken my brace off and stopped using my sticks because I just want to get on with things - I obviously walk (if you can call it that) with a limp at the moment - and it gets much worse throughout the day.
Anyone out there pushed it a little too much???
Any good advice???  Really quite desperate for peoples past experience of rehab.

Cheers all.

(after subsequently reading around this forum I see that there is a lot of good advice - but still, has anyone pushed the rehab too much?)

[John42]

Hi Daren

It`s a fact that a lot of the PT`s dont have the proper idea of the rehab process with a Ruptured Quadriceps.    I am of the opinion that you are pushing it too far.

I am sending you three documents wich cover the rehab process of the Ruptured Patella Tendon, which is very similar.

How did you do your injury?    Where do you live.

Best wishes

JohnK/ Manchester UK
[email protected]

[Daren]

Thanks John, had a quick look at the info - but I'll have a better read through when I'm applying frozen peas to my knee in bed!!!
I tore my quads tendon by falling down ONE step - although I did end up 3 metres further away and down another two steps.  I heard the snap and thought it was my femur - wish it had been!!! (I felt my knee cap at the side of my leg).
I tore the synovium as well because my leg was like massively swollen with blood (which is why instant diagnosis didn't happen).

I've got Physio on Thursday and I'm hoping that she's spoken to my consultant to find out what he recommends next - although I'm not holding out too much hope.

I live in Todmorden - which is probably just North of you (I had the surgery at Rochdale Infirmary).

Thanks again,

Daren.

[binkeyhb]

Hi Darren,
Sorry about my email snafu. I don't get it.
How did you make out on your diagnosis?
Bink

[AntRn]

Hi, great forum. Have just been taken of my motorbike by a car thinking it could force its way into my gap. Suffered a 100% rupture of the quadracep and a fractured Patella. Was operated on 6 days later and have been in a half cast for just over 2 weeks. Due to go into a full cast tomorrow, although there still seems to be swelling there so who knows?

I guess at the end of all this there is PT. How long does it take to get 100% usage back. I am fairly fit but at the tender age of 58.

AntRn (UK based)

[tickertrouble]

Hello all, had my left quads tendon repaired 7 and a half weeks ago..... lovely scar!!!
Snip.......
Anyone out there pushed it a little too much???
Any good advice???  Really quite desperate for peoples past experience of rehab.

A cautionary tale...
I ruptured my right quadriceps tendon on Christmas Day 08 and had a QTR in early January 09.
Post op I was fitted with a brace adjusted for 90 degrees of flex and felt sufficiently confident to remove the brace after the 3rd week.
By the 6th week I was walking without a limp and had 100 degrees plus of flex.  I could manage a reasonably brisk 6 mile walk and my only difficulty was descending stairs or walking down inclines.
Then, in mid March I carelessly led with my good leg coming down some stairs and collapsed in a heap with severe pain and swelling to the knee.  I saw my physio the next day and he rightly moaned that had I been wearing my brace I would not have suffered the damage.  However, as soon as the swelling subsided sufficiently he started me on an intensive exercise programme.  Nevertheless, my leg continued to feel unstable and I had developed an obvious limp and a 15 degree lag performing a straight leg lift.
After a further 6 weeks I had regained 90 degrees of flex but still exhibited the limp and the lag.  I asked my consultant if he could open my knee and check for damage but his answer was that the hospital did not do exploratory surgery.  He was not particularly bothered by a limp on an old fart of 61 years, but it was affecting my mobility and I was convinced that something was wrong.  After some persistence he organised an ultrasound which showed that only 20 percent of the tendon mass remained attached and so it was fairly obvious that physio alone would not have returned my knee to good order.
The QTR was repeated 9 weeks ago.  For the first 6 weeks I was in a brace with 0 flex and then adjusted to 30 degrees.  This has been progressively adjusted to 75 degrees and the plan is to incrementally release by a further 15 degrees every 10 days.  Although I remain in a brace, I can accomplish all of the physio routines that I could do following the initial operation and my leg now feels very stable.  There is no discernible limp or lag and my physio suggests that I will be "sports fit" in 12 to 15 months.
The moral to this tale is do not try to rush recovery, persistently question if anything feels wrong, and unlike me continue to wear any leg support until instructed otherwise.
Good luck!

Jack
 

[ufcike]

  Its been a long time since I came on this board or posted. I was one of the lucky ones with bi lateral quad tendon ruptures. Meaning I ripped both tendons clean off at the same time. This happened April 18th, 2008.

   I am a 41 year old 220 pound athletic male. I have made a full recovery. I live pain free and I bike, run, rollerblade and do leg presses in the gym. I have decided  I will never do anything ballistic or high impact anymore as its just not worth it. Such as no beach volleyball or tennis or basketball. But I can do most things and have a very active life.

   I guess I am writing this to give inspiration to anyone who is in the recovery phase. Whether you think so or not. You will get better and should heal 99 to 100 percent. Its not up to your doctor and its not up to your PT person. Its up to you. Read, study learn and become your own expert on rehabbing that injury. Don't rely on others to tell you when you can drive again. When you can take your brace off. When you can ride a bike in the gym. Thats all up to you. You decide when you that. Go by how you feel. Listen to your body but push yourself and don't measure your recovery by the day. Access it every Monday. Just once a week and look to see how you are doing.

   Good luck and don't ever stop believing not for one second.  Take care everyone.

[SeatownShuffle]

Greetings All,
Looks like I will be joining the club today.  Last Thursday Aug 6th 2009 I tripped down the stairs while on vacation and took my first ride to the emergency room at age 38.  The eRoom staff appeared to be as well trained on this injury as others have reported and sent me home with muscle relaxents and pain meds and orders to use plenty of heat over the next few days saying I had pulled a muscle in my right leg.  Of course none of this occured before they reduced me to tears trying to have me get up from the table after "clear x-rays".
Needless to say upon return to my room I immediately started RICE and called an ortho who I met with yesterday Aug 10th 2009 which brought me to this group.
I am heading to the operating room today to have my Quad reconnected.  Seeing that this is going to be a long hard road I plan to try and post some observations each week in a hope that those who follow behind can gain some insight into one more person's journey.
So here is my first observation:
Today I pretty much feel no pain and am wondering why on earth I am going to put myself through this journey.  Then I tug on my brace to move the dead weight attached to my hip and am slapped back to reality.  I am profoundly sad/scared/nervous ect and find it hard to keep from crying while typing this post.  I know everything will be fine and that staying positive is the key to sucess...its just really hard with so many unknowns.
How am I going to keep up with my work?  I am a senior manager in an electronics firm.
How am I going to get to work and when?
How am I going to keep my wife and 2 children under 6 as unaffected by my stupid injury as possible?
How bad will this really hurt?
Do I need a wheelchair or will crutches work?
So many questions I should have asked the ortho but was to shocked to get out.
I am glad I found this board and will do my best to come back frequently to read all your stories of support , motivation and ultimate sucess.

[John42]

Hi

If you would let me have your e-mail address, I would send you three documents which would give you an idea of the rehab process, although in my case it was a Ruptured Patella Tendon, but the rehab is similar ...........

I will respond to all your questions later on as soon as I receive your e-mail address.

Where do you live?


You dont require a wheelchair, but you will be on crutches for about 6/8 weeks.

You wont be able to drive for some time - however, now is the time to apply for a car disability badge ......

You will have to get a driver, and line prone on the back seat of the car for the timebeing.

Once you get fit for driving, you will have to have the car seat right back.

You dont get much direct pain, but will experience swelling.

Please be free to ask as many questions as you want, that what we are herefor having ruptured my pattela tendon six years ago.

Are you on MSN or SKYPE?

JohnK/ Manchester UK
[email protected]

[SeatownShuffle]

Just had my surgery yesterday.  Went very well and was so much less of an event than I had worked it up in my mind to be.
My anesthesiologist was amazing.  Placed a femoral block on my right front leg wich wore off about 20hrs later and then put me to sleep quickly and effectively for the entire 45-1hr surgery.  I kept sleeping for another hour in recovery and woke up like I had just had the best nap of my life.  No hangover or after effects at all.
The only pain I experienced so far is a deep knee throb last night which was quickly erased by a Percocet.  All medications have wore off and I am still totally comfortable this morning.
I will get to shower and see my new trophy scar tomorrow.
I will be heading back to the doctors office in 2 weeks for a follow up and to get the staples removed
I guess the story is true...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Day one is complete now onto the journey of recovery.

Tim