Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[John42]

Hi Jgreen1990

You will be using two crutches for a while once the brace is removed, then down to a walking stick - just remember that Tendon does not heal 100% for at least twelve weeks.   - do not know anybody using a CPM machine in the UK

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[jgreen1990]

see physio for first time today i am walking with the crutches with part weight of my leg so front foot i have also got a few exercises sitting on a chair and bending leg as far as i can laying down and bending as far as i can and tensing my knee whilst laying down. My brace has been adjusted to 50 now and i was just about bending to 30 today which is the first time i have bent my knee since the surgery

[bustedwheel10]

Hi Bustedwheel10

Have you thought about purchasing a floor cycle - on Amazon, about £35 or $50 -

You can sit in your favourite chair and pedal away in your own good time

JohnK/ Manchester UK

My gym is just around corner from office, so will just use bike there - have one of those assault bikes, where you use your arms too, and gets a great cardio workout. Been doing that for a bit either at start or end of workuts.

[bustedwheel10]

Bustedwheel10 as opposed to the other busted wheels on this site...your story brought back memories of my injury.  I'm really not sure if I shared this but I too was high jumping in competition (senior level at age 50). I had been a high jumper in HS and played basketball thru the college level.  I've stayed very active and was actually below my college weight when my injury occurred.  Scared the p/$$ out of me...thought I had been shot in the leg.  I looked down and was really mad at myself...OS told me I probably had tears in the PT and just didn't know it.  Anyway, thought you'd get a laugh so you'd know you weren't only high jumper in our little group.  You can check out my story...my biggest issue was mental (ie: anger at myself, feelings of despair, disappointment, etc.).  I'm not really proud of my reaction, but I decided to share so anyone else who experienced those feelings wouldn't feel alone or ashamed. This forum was a Godsend for me...thanks again to John for keeping it going and peace to all my RPT brethren.

Love it! That gives me hope that I'll get back to really jumping again soon - though am going to primarily lift/try to train for CrossFit and do throwing for next year or two, as that will all be easier on joints than sprinting and jumping.

[bustedwheel10]

Update on mine another week into gentle lower body training:

1. Did 5x15 box squats - to a 18" box (I'm 6'2" - so this is just above parallel) - up to 115 lbs for final set.  Keeping shins vertical, so this is mostly posterior chain, but still getting knee angle past 90 degrees with some load.  Is a little sore, but no acute pain. How are the rest of you evaluating your pain? I assume stiffness/soreness is normal - but how are you distinguishing if it's worrisome or just the pain of moving again.
2. Did rowing at start and end of workout.  Rowed 500m in 1:39 pretty easily, compared to an all-out effort of 1:19 pre injury - so back to 80%+ on that movement is pretty encouraging.
3. Going down stairs slowly but with little assistance - still aware of/thinking about it, but this is a dramatic improvement just in the last week.

I feel like the blood flow of added movement is really helpful.

[darrellb85]

Hi all, just a quick status update on my progress. I will be at 9 weeks post op on Wednesday, and I had pt today. Pretty rough day and I was definitely put through my paces, but was able to get 96 degrees of ROM today, so I'm pretty happy about that. Strength is coming along, I can walk now with a slight limp without my brace on, gait is looking pretty good. Hope everyone is doing well!

Darrell

[fishy]

Fishy here, 23 months since double RPT and it has been a month or so since my last posting.  I continue to read all the postings related to RPT and I continue to be amazed at the resilience of the human body and mind as we go through this life.  I almost forget about my RPT's, going up and down stairs are still a challenge to me....sitting, standing, walking are all now routine, kneeling requires a pad of some form; Otherwise, life goes on.  Hang in there my brothers and sister with RPT, life will return to some measure of normal!!!   Bob

[John42]

Hi Bob

Nice to hear that you are coping - takes time, but you will get there in the end.

Keep posting   

John K/ Manchester UK

[nmacseven50]

Back here looking for a bit of help and some opinions from fellow RPT patients....

I had surgery for a chronic partial (75%) patellar tendon tear in early December. I had this issue for bout 5 months before even finding it and starting treatment on it. Surgery went well and I am just about 5 months post op. Rehab had been going good. In the past month itself I've ran, sprinted, box jumped etc but all with pain afterwards.. About 2 weeks ago I started noticing and questioning why my quadricep couldn't get stronger, and I also have limited ROM (can't get leg up far enough for a standing hamstring stretch). I am getting weaker daily it seems like even with the exercises and I am now unable to squat to sit or get up out of sitting position without pain and over compensating on my good knee.

It is painful to walk and it has really affected my walking the past week or 2. I don't go up stairs right now and it hurts in the middle of the night even lifting it up to flip over and put a pillow under my leg.

I don't know what to do at this point. If I should try to just tough it out and see or go back to the Surgeon. I'm wondering if it is permanently damaged due to the fact that I continued to play basketball on it for months. Being 7'1" 275 pounds makes it twice as bad on me. I have felt confident this whole time but my depression is starting to creep in and I am fearful something is up with it. Another surgery would basically put an end to my basketball career and I'm only 19.

[John42]

Hi nmacseven50

Firstly in my view, pack in any sporting activities and listen to your knee -YES,  pack in basketball, until your knee is £100 healed and fit for purpose PATIENCE

Secondly, go back to your OS - your knee is a vital piece of equipment, and further advice from your oS is required.

Take care

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[jgreen1990]

Hi all I am 3 weeks post op just wondering if anyone's shin ached I'm doing minor exercises and partial weight not a lot isit normal feels like when you have shin splints

[jgreen1990]

Wondering If anyone can help been doing a lot of reading through this forum at what previous people have done I had surgery because of ruptured patella tendon which was caused by hyper flexion of the knee some people are saying it was quicker to recover as the patella tendon that ruptured is in the bottom of the knee connecting to tibia I am trying to get to 50 rom 3 weeks post op is this the correct procedure and light weight bearing with cructhes they said they will need to take the wire back out is this something that will restrict me from pt and do they need to open the knee up as previous or do they do a smaller hole be grateful if someone could help

[John42]

Hi Jgreen1990

In response to your first query, I am of the opinion that you are pushing your knee too hard - one would expect to be between 30/40ROM at six weeks, and then build up to the next milestone 90ROM at 12 weeks.    Listen to your knee - PATIENCE as we don`t want to see a rerupture.

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[madvillain]

Personally for "no restrictions" my surgeon said 6 months and that question about pain and when to stop is a great one.  Better safe than sorry but you do have to push through some discomfort or else you'd never get anything done in the gym.  Maybe at like anything greater than a 2.5 or if it's sharp or increasing -- stop immediately.  Dull discomfort below 2.5 is to be expected as you recover and push the joint and muscles back to pre surgery levels.

21 weeks for me as of yesterday.  Progress is continual, but much slower than weeks 8-16.  I can jog a little faster now and cut a little faster on my agility drills.  Deadlift more and squat further down.

I also completed a very happy milestone today my first time returning to the mountains post dual ruptures.  Started off with a relatively easy, 1200 ft, 2 mile ascent up Rattlesnake Ledge and back down. 

Ironically, as all of us know, it's actually harder going down but I was pleasantly happy with how my knees felt all around.  I was in control of my movement and even with a very crowded trail (it was nearing 75 today in parts around Seattle and not a cloud in the sky) was able to keep a solid footing at all time and after some post trail ice I'm in no pain.

If anything, as mentioned upthread -- any time you can get the blood flowing through the knees it helps imo.

I have a very strange, what I describe as "mild nerve pain" pain that happens in both knees along the inner side up and back through the hamstrings when I first start exercising and then goes away (usually) as I warm up.  It's almost like...the muscle is adjusting (and nerves) to a slightly different kneecap position then it's known its entire life.   It's a totally different pain then from surgery or post surgery and I didn't start feeling it until about week 18.  Based on what my surgeon told me about the nerves returning around 4-6 months I'm thinking it's a natural part of the healing process.

Other than that I have no pain and the knees look almost normal now (still a little inflammation over the drill areas), if I didn't have the scars I don't think you could tell I had dual ruptures 5 months ago.

Been on the journey awhile now hope everyone is well as always and stay strong.

[madvillain]

Hi Jgreen1990

In response to your first query, I am of the opinion that you are pushing your knee too hard - one would expect to be between 30/40ROM at six weeks, and then build up to the next milestone 90ROM at 12 weeks.    Listen to your knee - PATIENCE as we don`t want to see a rerupture.

JohnK/ Manchester UK

I tend to agree and I'm usually one for pushing it. 

One thing that stuck in my mind from the 12 week follow up and I told the doc my routine (I was doing similar  movements to what he described)  the surgeon said "be careful, just like last time, you aren't going to get warning that the tendon is going to go, it's just gonna go suddenly".