Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[fishy]

Hey Sella,  congrats. On grand baby.   We startled about the same time and recovery has been slow but steady. I had the two grandbabies (8 & 20 month girls),two spastic dogs (nonstop running, cavorting, etc), cooked dinner for 5 adults plus kids....and I survived.  Week 34 and I will hit gym to workout inside and outside of quads ... stay positive my RPTers...

[dtr42]

Hi peeps .
Week 9 and saw my physio for the first time Today.She was great and has done about 3  or 4 PTR patients and seemed to know what was what. She measured my flex [bad leg 80 degree's good leg 145 degrees] and I start hydrotherapy on Wednesday to get it even better ,also doing quad work in the pool ,as my quad is a bit wasted  and I have been twisting while doing my leg lifts [a bit of a cheat apparently ] my walking is not to bad so I have permission to not use my crutch [not used for 2 weeks  ] Just need to take it easy and continue the knee bends .Physio reckons 6 months and I should be there or there abouts. Hopefully get back to office work start of February [I work outside installing gas supplies ]
but need my HR and company doctor  to say I can be there . Anyhoo happy new year

[fishy]

hey dtr42, welcome to the club....congratulations on early removal of crutch.... next stop the brace.  Minimizing the atrophy is job #1....keep your spirits up and be patent during the months that follow.... and you will recover quicker and with less distress.... stay strong!!  Bob

[vonlehmd]

Good to see all are getting along well.

I got out to play some golf yesterday.  Happy in that I am just shy of 4 months.  Played 11 holes ( could have played more).

Played in pouring rain for the last 4 holes.  Always watching my step of course. 

Played well.  Having to swing slower has helped.  Follow through is limited (hard to transfer full weight and hold it on left leg).  I am bilateral so not really a good leg to stand on (no pun intended).

I was was looking at two birdies and one eagle (missed the putts).

[dtr42]

Hi Fishy,
brace was removed 3 weeks ago was told to use crutch but don't need that now so hopefully starting the  hydro will bring the knee on a good bit .and then therapist says the real work will begin thought I was doing the real work lol

[Stuart Rulka]

dtr42 . Welcome to the "Club", I won't offer advice as I appear to be the board "loonie""
but don't be afraid to do what your body tells you feels alright. You haven't mentioned the bike , a good non weight bearing way to build up the quads as well as improving ROM. Walk as much as you can also.
   Sorry can't help myself, but pushing the envelope worked for me so I want to see people question the status quo !

[Jmac780]

So just had my 6 week appointment today and it was interesting.  My OS seemed pretty nonchalant about everything brought a donjoy brace with me in my bag.  He checked my knee out of the Zimmer and then basically just said I could start physio and go.  I told him I had the brace and he was like sure you can use that.  He told me it that the tendon was fully healed in 6 weeks and physio should be about another 6 when I pushed him about and asked about returning to work. Also said to make another appointment at my leisure around then.  The whole thing was weird.  On the flip side I'm at 60° for flexion on my own soo.  It just seemed like he would say more.

[carkeltom]

Hey to everyone:  Don, Stuart, John42, Fishy, Sella and welcome to Jmac and dtr42.  Hope everyone enjoyed the new year.  Glad to see Don is able to get out and play some golf, as I guess it wouldn't be the same living in Florida without golf.  As a fellow double RPT, I can not get my balance that good to think about swinging a club.  I am getting prepared, mentally and physically, for girls softball this spring and summer.  I should have a team of 13/14 year olds and 7/8 year olds.  Just need to be able to swing a bat, throw a ball and bend over to pick up a ball every now and again.  Good thing I have like 300 softballs.

Jmac and dtr42, sorry to hear about your injuries, but glad to see that you are getting along.  I, along with most of the other RPT victims,  can give advice and share our stories of repair and recovery.  Being that I ruptured both tendons, My progress has been a little slower,  I spent more time in the braces and more time using the crutches (about 15 weeks before I ditched the braces completely and about 10 weeks with the crutches).  By 8 weeks I was doing intense PT twice per week and everyday on my own.  I had my own muscle stimulator and still suffered with the quad atrophy.  I still (almost 24 weeks or 6 months post) have some tendon and muscle pain.  Not excruciating pain but, dull lingering pain.  My best advice was to start the weight bearing, exercise until you are fatigued, stop with pain, be in charge of your rehab and do the exercises.  I took and continue to take pleasure in progress I make, like being able to bend over to tie my shoes, finally getting to take a shower after about 7 weeks, being able to pick things up off the floor and the best thing was getting back to work.

I tried to jump a few days ago and could not muster it.  I tried to take off on a trot and could not do that either, so I have some work to do.  I have been on my floor cycle, treadmill and started on an elliptical this week.  I have my follow up with my OS on 1/14/14, so I am hoping for the best.

So good luck and continued good rehab to all.  I will keep up with everyone as best I can.

Tom

[vonlehmd]

JMAC,

Looks like good news to me.  I guess ortho is deferring to Physical Therapist and trusting they will guide you from here? 

My PT is affiliated with my Ortho.  My PT enters notes into a system that my Ortho can view.  Same with you? 

[fishy]

So just had my 6 week appointment today and it was interesting.  My OS seemed pretty nonchalant about everything brought a donjoy brace with me in my bag.  He checked my knee out of the Zimmer and then basically just said I could start physio and go.  I told him I had the brace and he was like sure you can use that.  He told me it that the tendon was fully healed in 6 weeks and physio should be about another 6 when I pushed him about and asked about returning to work. Also said to make another appointment at my leisure around then.  The whole thing was weird.  On the flip side I'm at 60° for flexion on my own soo.  It just seemed like he would say more.

Hey JMAC, Fishy here.  I just had to follow up with you....Your OS felt that your tendon was fully healed at 6 weeks   I had my surgery at the VA clinic in Anchorage....there were 8 soldiers with knee repairs during my stay....JBER is airborne, need I say more?  My OS said the tendon was weak at 8 weeks and healed at 12.... a series of 8 pt sessions really sealed the deal.  Please take your OS opinion with a grain of salt.... Regardless, you will recover....with patience.  Now get out there and exercise and I'll do the same.... Bob

[Jmac780]

Hey thanks fishy for the input I agree time, patience and hard work will get me back to where I was before. It just surprised me that he was gonna send me out without a brace or anything, especially living in Alberta where there's gonna be snow and ice for another few months at least. volleyed my OS and Pt aren't connected at all he gave me a prescription for the physio but that's it, so I pick where I go.

[Stuart Rulka]

Jmac780. I put my brace aside at 4 weeks but even now at 22 weeks still put it on whilst hiking or if there is any danger of falling. E en if we don't get as much snow and ice here in BC. Where in Alberta?

[fishy]

Hey to everyone:  Don, Stuart, John42, Fishy, Sella and welcome to Jmac and dtr42.  Hope everyone enjoyed the new year.  Glad to see Don is able to get out and play some golf, as I guess it wouldn't be the same living in Florida without golf.  As a fellow double RPT, I can not get my balance that good to think about swinging a club.  I am getting prepared, mentally and physically, for girls softball this spring and summer.  I should have a team of 13/14 year olds and 7/8 year olds.  Just need to be able to swing a bat, throw a ball and bend over to pick up a ball every now and again.  Good thing I have like 300 softballs.

Jmac and dtr42, sorry to hear about your injuries, but glad to see that you are getting along.  I, along with most of the other RPT victims,  can give advice and share our stories of repair and recovery.  Being that I ruptured both tendons, My progress has been a little slower,  I spent more time in the braces and more time using the crutches (about 15 weeks before I ditched the braces completely and about 10 weeks with the crutches).  By 8 weeks I was doing intense PT twice per week and everyday on my own.  I had my own muscle stimulator and still suffered with the quad atrophy.  I still (almost 24 weeks or 6 months post) have some tendon and muscle pain.  Not excruciating pain but, dull lingering pain.  My best advice was to start the weight bearing, exercise until you are fatigued, stop with pain, be in charge of your rehab and do the exercises.  I took and continue to take pleasure in progress I make, like being able to bend over to tie my shoes, finally getting to take a shower after about 7 weeks, being able to pick things up off the floor and the best thing was getting back to work.

I tried to jump a few days ago and could not muster it.  I tried to take off on a trot and could not do that either, so I have some work to do.  I have been on my floor cycle, treadmill and started on an elliptical this week.  I have my follow up with my OS on 1/14/14, so I am hoping for the best.

So good luck and continued good rehab to all.  I will keep up with everyone as best I can.

Tom

Hey My brother from a different mother, I read your posting and compared it to my current condition and I am spot on with your progress....great to walk, bend over, stairs up and down (slowly), jumping is tenuous at best and running...not yet (I am a marathoner and this is my most bothering situation).  But being a double RPTer I have to take my recovery slower...I am working out in a gym because they have the equipment that works the top/inside and outside of the quad along with the other strength machines and cardio equipment.  Playing with the grandbabies is wonderfully doable as well as the other motions that make life, well, life.  Patience AND workouts will prevail to achieve the most of my (and everyone elses) recovery.   Take care,  Bob

[Kaddydee]

Hi RPT's!
I thought I'd join your club.  Why?  Because I have PT problems, you all seem very encouraging and helpful and I think you need another lady in the club!
I'm a 36 year old who has experienced many problems with my left knee over the last 18 months.  Quick summary:  Meniscus tear from a gym class- surgery led to CRPS/RSD and a month in hospital with severe pain and only 40 degrees knee movement - arthrofibrosis -manipulation Nov 2012.  It was during this manipulation that my patella tendon must have been damaged because the MRI I had 2 months later said that my PT was grossly thickened with loss of normal fibrillary contour and evidence of partial tear inferiorly. (Previous MRI showed a perfectly healthy knee).    The MRI showed lots of other things had changed - high grade cartilage loss, more meniscus tears, bone degeneration etc  This is what the OS's (I had a team looking after me) focussed on - they never mentioned the tear.
All this year I have worked with the hospital's physios to improve my range of movement and function (without resorting to surgery) and some things have improved - I can walk nearly normally and I have very little pain- but other things have not improved at all.  I have no control over my 0-30 degree range.  If I stand on my left leg I cannot bend my knee at all.  I can not walk up and down stair or hills.  I can't do a straight leg raise etc.
I met with the OS on Monday and had an Xray and it showed that I have Patella Alta because of the PT tear.  The surgeon said the only way to fix it would be to do a PT reconstruction using my hamstring.  However, because of my CRPS reaction to a simple arthroscopic surgery he is very reluctant to do  the surgery.  So at some stage I have to make the decision to live with what I've got or risk surgery  (and another severe CRPS reaction) to maybe get an improvement. 

I used to be extremely fit and loved being active with my family.  I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be that person again but I am still keen to improve as much as I can.

I'd appreciate your thoughts and comments and also any ideas on anything I could try without surgery.
Sorry, it's a bit long.....
Kaddydee (Kath)

[Rosbif]

nearly 9 years since my injury.

knee is still a bit weak, occasionally buckles and swells up frequently (bursitis i think)

despite this I managed to get back into field hockey and played at a reasonable standard. Luckily the Goalkeeping legguards  seem to add extra stability and prevent hypertension which is an issue for me.