Ruptured Quadriceps Tendon

[SellaVee]

Welcome mojocpa.  I also suffered a new shoe related fall when the soles of my new shoes stayed stuck to the carpet when I turned to my right.  I wrenched my knee and ruptured my patellar tendon.  Unlike you I had a long wait for surgery as the orthopaedic department were not convinced that's what I'd done.  Your positive attitude will see you through.

If I'd been in your situation, Stuart, I might have made it into the dinghy but I'd never have made it back onto our boat.  I'd have needed air sea rescue!  Keep up the good work with the hiking.  My physiotherapist has said walking will do me good.  I'm thinking of getting a Bioskin knee sleeve for support when we go on longer walks. 

I think it's really helpful to have reports of people who are doing well in their recovery and pushing the boundaries a little as well as hearing of people who are taking a slower route to recovery.  It's certainly helped me to know that there's more than one way to get over this.

[John42]

Hi Mojocpa

Welcome to the RPT/RQT webpage of KneeGuru

We have already exchanged e-mails, but a double Ruptured tendon is so rare, in fact I have only known about 4 or five within the last years.

There are currently a couple of double RPT/RQT posting at the moment, going through the same trauma as yourself.

Suggest that you also read the undermentioned link, which contains a number of documents which I have put together with KneeGuru - read with care.

PATIENCE   Ask questions

JohnK/ Manchester UK
 https://www.facebook.com/QuadricepsPatellarTendonRupture

[Stuart Rulka]

SV. I join you in welcoming mojocpa. Something that needs to be borne in mind is that quad tendon ruptures tend to occur in males over 60, usually after falls which suggests a sedentary lifestyle, or less than optimal balance and fitness. Recovery protocols are of necessity geared to this group,and may not be particularly relevant to an individual. I find it interesting that here in North America, The Land of the Free and the Home of the Lawsuit, we have practitioners who are willing to push the boundaries.
  As mentioned previously I did have to call on our air-sea rescue to extricate me by hovercraft!

[mojocpa]

I am 57, slightly overweight, none of the other medical conditions that are linked to RQT. I was club footed as a baby and consequently developed arthritis in both ankles with one more severe than the other making running impossible and stairs difficult. I worked on a livestock farm for most of my life until I changed occupations to one more financially stable 10 years ago.

[Frank550]

Thought I would pop on my story as to how I ended up here, and it was really simple.....

I was in my garden, in old (smooth bottomed) trainers and it had rained earlier. There is a slope in the grass heading back into the house and I was walking down this slope when my right leg shot forward on the slippery grass, my left leg didn't move. As I was falling its quite obvious my left knee over extended rapidly and I heard a loud snap like a dry stick being snapped. The pain was excruciating for about 10 minutes, then eased off to nil in the next 20 minutes when the ambulance arrived and carted me off to the hospital.

Xray confirmed a piece of bone had been ripped off with the tendon, and I was operated on 5 days later. Open cast for about 2 weeks and full cast for 2 more before being braced at 120 degrees.

That was April through to May. I next saw a doc in June, he recommended PT to start. Heard nothing for weeks, so arranged my own PT, finally got letter through from NHS beginning August to say I was getting near top of the waiting list to be seen, by which time I was already several weeks into PT!

After 4 weeks PT I had 55 degrees ROM only and no matter what we do now 55 is about the max I have. I await an appt with my OS on 6th November to discuss where we go from here.

Thats me in a wee nutshell!

I was 51 at time of injury.

[SellaVee]

Stuart, I didn't realise that the profile for quad tendon rupture was so different from the patellar tendon rupture.  Apparently the patellar tendon rupture typically happens to men in their 30s and 40s playing sport who fit the "weekend warrior" category, hence the problems I had getting diagnosed.

[Stuart Rulka]

SV. The quad injury does extend to men in their 50s and younger as our current group demonstrates,  especially  if there is steroid abuse. Obviously though as you have found there are no hard and fast rules. The Fates must have their say!

[Stuart Rulka]

Anybody experienced any issues with other parts of the knee joint due to overcompensation during recovery?

[SellaVee]

The issue I had was with my opposite hip.  It became extremely painful until my physiotherapist corrected my gait.

[Stuart Rulka]

A physician friend of mine is wondering if anybody on this Forum was taking Ciprofloxacin or other quinolone antibiotics prior to tendon rupture. Anybody?

[Frank550]

Nope sorry

[Stuart Rulka]

It was 12 weeks today I was released from hospital. Celebrated by doing a double run up the Grouse Grind!   

[mojocpa]

I had my 5 week checkup last night. The doctor was pleased with my progress. I start PT this week. Over 90 ROM in both knees. Walking without the use of the walker in familiar settings. I have noticed  downward inclines are tough.  No pain in either knee. I have been off pain meds for 3 weeks. I feel that things are going very well all things considered.

[SE27Eagle]

Greetings, comrades.  I find myself in a bit of a Groundhog Day moment since I had this injury on the left side six and a half years ago, and then a couple of weeks ago managed to rupture the right.  I well remember this site as a source of great comfort, and in an odd way it's good to be back.  In another way it isn't - after that first injury I thought "That's it - you really need to sort your life out" and started doing more sport.  That was a slow but steady process, but five weeks ago I managed to cycle up Mont Ventoux, easily outpacing every other 110kg cyclist on the mountain that day (I draw this conclusion from not seeing anyone else that big, thus suggesting they'd all been left for dust in Bedoin or didn't in fact exist).  Anyway, here we are again after a completely freak accident on the stairs at home. 

So while of course I am here for tea and sympathy, I am definitely also here to tell anyone else arriving in the ruptured quadriceps tendon thread in the coming weeks and months that you really do get better.  Fully better.  And that you've timed your injury brilliantly, because you're more likely to be in a brace locked to 0 degrees nowadays than the full length cast I was in for seven weeks last time.

One question for people with more recent experience - is the fantasy that the tiny movement of which you are capable within the brace/cast is somehow disturbing the repair a common one?  I don't remember it from last time, but then I think I was more complacent generally back then.  And of course found it implausible there was much movement because there was this huge plaster cast on...

[John42]

Hi SE27Eagle

Welcome back to KeeGuru

No need to inform you that you are in for a long haul to recovery, although having lived through it once, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

You do well to read previous posts on this thread, and suggest that you click on the undermentioned link, as there is a set of documents which I have collected together with KneeGuru.

Do keep us informed of your progress and don`t forget to ask questions.

Where do you live?

Take care
JohnK/ Manchester UK


://www.facebook.com/QuadricepsPatellarTendonRupture