Good news -
I had my hardware removed yesterday, 5 months after smashing my patella. The surgery took 30 minutes under general anesthesia, I was home 4 hours after the surgery. I have been pain free and can now walk unassisted with a splint on my knee. Staples will be moved in 12 days. during the past 5 months I have been going to water aerobics and working intensely an hour a day which may be the reason my recovery is so rapid. I am 72 years old and the hardware removal has been a minor event. I expect full ROM since I had almost full ROM before the wire removal. No physical therapy was needed, just daily exercise.
Peggy