Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[John42]

Hi Madvillain

Welcome to KneeGuru RPT thread - you will have realised that you belong to a very exclusive club, in fact to the best of my knowledge their have only been about 3/4 double RPT`s in the past few years.

You should receive lots and lots of support from fellow posters and take heart from their knowledge as you have quite a long road to recovery.  PATIENCE is the keyword - listen to your knee - watch out for fallen leaves, snow and ice.

Suggest that you click on the undermentioned thread as it contains quite a number of documents which I have put together with KneeGuru - covers the nature of your RPT and a guide to the rehab process.   Suggest that you spend sometime reading up stories of previous RPT`s on this thread - lots of tips and good advice.

Keep posting and ASK questions.

Festive greetings

JohnK/ Manchester UK


https://www.facebook.com/QuadricepsPatellarTendonRupture

[Stuart Rulka]

Madvillain, glad to have some backup in my crusade to change attitudes toward rehab. Thank you.
  Certainly with you on the Oxy thing. My Surgeon kept me overnight on the day after surgery 'cos he felt I would need IV pain meds, I didn't, just 2 Tylenol  for the post GA blahs. He wouldn't let me leave the Hospital however without a  prescription for 40 Oxycodone. I tore it up. Could almost have retired had I sold them on the street! As to disposal, up here we can take any unused drugs back to the Pharmacy, and they look after disposal.
  Keep up the good work, read John's posts and listen to your body, especially as regards sleep!
Good luck.

[John42]

And remember, place a pillow or cushion between your knees and you will sleep much better - I have been doing this for the last ten years.

Take care every body ----

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[madvillain]

And remember, place a pillow or cushion between your knees and you will sleep much better - I have been doing this for the last ten years.

Take care every body ----

JohnK/ Manchester UK

Hi John thanks for your response community is so important when serious injuries like this happen so you don't feel isolated.  Your post history obviously suggests you feel the same!  That is a good tip I use a little "throw pillow" and it helps, especially as I am still sleeping in braces (don't trust myself).

It's mid morning here on the west coast of the USA, a very typical Seattle winter day -- misty, 50 degrees, not much daylight.  Kinda like London!

I would very much like to get outside and go to the park for a stroll but I know that's a bridge too far at the moment uneven ground is a bugaboo.

But this is my first full day off work in a week and I'm ready to enjoy it.   I just finished my morning PT session (not much to report, no pain, left leg felt a little weaker today, but that's typical as it's my weaker leg) and everything went smoothly.   I changed it up today and did no straight leg lifts and instead did an extra set of ROM "heel pulls" as I call them.   No pain to 30 degrees or so knee is now getting up above my belly button on them, which is progress.  Got the ice on my knees now (get an icemaker folks if you can afford it amazon sells one for $140 it's like having a hotel ice maker so much more convenient than making cubes).

Plus, once I get better I can throw a better cocktail party!

Just in general I think everyone's body is different and if you are struggling with PT and atrophy I would perhaps suggest talking to your surgeon and PT about knowing the difference between "pain" and "injury".  I am lucky enough to have a long history in athletics and know my body very well but my mother (for example) wouldn't know the difference between the pain of rebab (normal) verse the pain of injury (certainly not normal and time to stop).

The next big step for me will be driving.  We will see what the surgeon says in a few days.  I meet with him on Tuesday morning.

Happy Boxing Day to our UK brethren and happy holidays to our US folks.   THe Christmas downtime at my biz will allow me to focus more of my energy on rehab next week and I'm looking forward to it.

[Stuart Rulka]

Madvillain, with regard to driving, again I was able to push the envelope, mostly out of necessity. I have a 45min to one hour commute, and at first my wife was getting up at 5am to drive me in, back home and the reverse at 5pm to pick me up. After 2 weeks marital harmony was becoming a little strained so I said the hell with it and drove myself in my wife's automatic. I must stress at this point that  I was, in my distant youth, very active in Northwest Region SCCA as well as holding a Canadian Race Drivers Instructors Licence, and had some experience with left foot braking. Would not recommend it with a double though.
Patience! Keep posting.

[madvillain]

Madvillain, with regard to driving, again I was able to push the envelope, mostly out of necessity. I have a 45min to one hour commute, and at first my wife was getting up at 5am to drive me in, back home and the reverse at 5pm to pick me up. After 2 weeks marital harmony was becoming a little strained so I said the hell with it and drove myself in my wife's automatic. I must stress at this point that  I was, in my distant youth, very active in Northwest Region SCCA as well as holding a Canadian Race Drivers Instructors Licence, and had some experience with left foot braking. Would not recommend it with a double though.
Patience! Keep posting.

Yea I am fairly lucky to only have a 20 minute commute via car but it's a 1 hour commute via bus and that includes walking four blocks, which I could do fine (ah, a nice level sidewalk, gotta appreciate the little things) , but that's going to add another 10 minutes and it's just frustrating to actually pay more in bus fare than it costs in gas just to triple the time it takes to get to work.

I did some more PT tonight and I got the knee to 45 degrees with no pain.  I think maybe I will mention that to the doc and ask if I can unlock the brace to drive. 

If I have to take the bus I have to take the bus but I'd def prefer not to.   I'm of similar mindset to you there, kinda bull headed I'd say at times so I need to watch myself.

I did some straight leg deadlifts (super low weight, 35lbs lol) tonight as well my hammies are gonna be so sore tmr, but it will be that good sore.  Going to try and get into the gym next week and do some real upper body stuff.  I have a nice gym with ramps in and out (no stairs) right nearby that will def help.  Like to try the rowing machine as well an acquaintance of mine mentioned that it really helped him after his knee surgery as it gently flexes the knee and you can get cardio in as well.

Stuart or anyone do you have any ideas for gentle ROM exercises to start doing?  I could always use more ideas and variety.

[Stuart Rulka]

Madvillain  (Do you have a real name?)  My PT started me at two weeks sitting on a stationary bike and gently moving backward and forward as far as I comfortably could. By the start of the third week I was able to complete a full revolution ( no load) and never looked back!  Also started standing against a wall with a soft 8in ball behind my knee and gently flexing the knee to push it into the wall. Standing on the damaged leg and bouncing, and catching a ball off a trampoline. Also balancing on a wobble-board.
 Any of these resonate with anybody else?

[John42]

Driving so soon after sustaining your RPT injury is a very difficult subject - You must get the OK from your O S,or  otherwise you could invalidate your car insurance policy.

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[madvillain]

You guys can call me Matt.

Yep that's what I thought John it will invalidate my insurance so not going to happen.  I have arranged for one of my employees to pick up me up a few times a week so I only have to take the bus a couple times.

I just met with the surgeon this morning.  He was amazed I was walking without crutches he goes "where are your crutches".  I said "doc I haven't used them for a week".  He smiled and said that's great.

He took off the rest of the surgical tape and removed the stiches from the top he said the rest will just dissolve over time so that's cool.   He examined the knees and said they "look great" with very minimal swelling.

He feels I should continue ROM to only 30 degrees for the next 4 weeks so reluctantly I will heed his advice.  I will continue to do all my quad exercises but will not push the ROM he told me the nerve endings in the knee are not healed and that I need to be very careful until the tendon heals more.   OK, I will listen but continue to push myself safely.

So mostly good news and some cold water thrown on the driving, but hey whatever I'm happy to be up and walking.

In general there are three types of people in the ortho room, the self inflicted via obesity (sorry, not much sympathy there, although I do understand how poverty and lack of education can get one to that point), the athletes young and old (met a former Mariners farmhand pitcher who just had his hip replaced), and the Old.   It does feel good to talk in person with people going through the same thing.

[John42]

Hi Matt

Delighted with thews you received from your OS -  Once you recommence driving your car, you will have to place the seat right back and an automatic car is favoured from experience.

May I suggest that you click on the undermentioned thread - contains quite a number of documents which I have together with KneeGuru.

Also have a look at the thread "" Ruptured Patella Tendon/Surgery which is the main webpage - you will join the majority of RPT`s patients who have posted over the years.

Take care

https://www.facebook.com/QuadricepsPatellarTendonRupture

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[BustedWheel]

Stu and Mad are hardcore.   Glad to hear from some more early movers.  Most of what you read on the internet makes it seem like if you move before six weeks your knee will spontaneously combust.  I started getting worried because after 3 or 4 weeks I was feeling much better than anybody who posted on the internet--I was almost going to call my doc to ask if something was wrong because I felt too good.  There seems to be a definite difference in experience between US patients and patients. 

[John42]

Festive greetings to all past and present RPT patients - heal quickly

Remember - don`t push it - patience

Best wishes

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[jbouchard24]

Hello everyone.  I was browsing the internet and found this forum to be uplifting and helpful.  I recently ruptured my patellar tendon in my left leg. I was doing some drills before playing flag football and made a cut off my left leg and snap!  I immediately fell to the ground but did not know what happened.  It felt like someone had hit me in the leg with something.  When I looked down my knee cap was not there.  I really wasn't sure what was wrong but x-rays at the hospital confirmed it was a ruptured patellar tendon.  This happened on November 18th and I had my surgery on November 21st. 

I currently live in Germany but thankfully the OS speaks pretty good English.  They put a wire loop in to reduce the tension on the tendon to help the healing process.  Has anyone else had the experience of the tension wire?  Will this limit your range of motion until it is taken out?  What was the procedure to take the wire out?  I went back to the doc two weeks post op and I was told I could put some weight on the leg and at 3 weeks I can move it to 30 degrees.  I am in a brace for the first 6 weeks to keep it straight and I have crutches to get around.  I started PT a couple of weeks ago and we are just moving the knee to 30 degrees.  I have another appointment with the doc on 29 December and I have lots of questions.  Is there anything you can do to aid/speed up the healing process?

- Bouch

[John42]

Hi Bouch

Willkommen to Kneeguru RPT thread - sorry to read that you are spending the Xmas with your RPT injury.

Would suggest that you click on the undermentioned thread - contains documents put together by KneeGuru and myself.   There is no way to speed up the healing process, and you will be doing PT for a minimum of up to six months.

Which part of Germany do you live in?

Patience - Please do ask questions - we are here to help you .

Viele Grusse

JohnK/ Manchester UK

https://www.facebook.com/QuadricepsPatellarTendonRupture

[Stuart Rulka]

Welcome Bouch und Frohliche Weinachten!
You have found a good site but recommend following the main threads of RPT and RQT for best response. John42 is our Mentor and has lots of good information but don't be afraid to question conventional wisdom.
 There are a number of us out here, particularly in  North America, who have had a high degree of success following the advice of our Rehab Specialists (PTs) rather than the OS whose forte is doing Surgery.
  Good luck and as we all say "listen to your body"!