Ruptured Patellar Tendon Surgery

[Primetime_21]

Just a quick update for you guys. I am now at 7 weeks post op.  ROM is up to 65 degrees. It has been tough to break up some of the scar tissue that is prohibiting increased ROM, but working on it daily with different exercises. I was also given a kneehab xp electrotherapy unit that I use 5 days a week.  I have been driving now for about a week. It's a bit of a pain in the ass getting in my car, but once im in i feel fine. I know I still have a ways to go, but staying positive and really focusing on doing my exercises has helped the time go a little faster. I hope everyone else is doing well with their recovery!

[AroohArooh!!]

Hey chiro I'm glad to hear the good news. I'm looking forward to being able to fly up the stairs again and run also. Same here doing the elliptical and bilking but I want to really get this leg strength up because I feel the weakness as I start lowering myself to sit down.

You'll get there, albeit slowly.  I used to load up triple plate squats and bound up stairs easily.  After about two years from a dual rupture I can do the latter easily but not the former.  The ROM will come then it's all about building the power and moreso the endurance.  I did a hard leg day today with 4 sets of 10 reps x125lbs, then one each of reps and weight: 7x185,5x,205,3x 235, 1x 245 and I could barely walk at 4mph on the treadmill after for my cooldown.

I get  DOMS so badly after leg day after the injuries that I feel like I can't train legs for 5-7 days (who I am kidding, picking a pen up off the ground or getting off the shitter is hard).  Granted I have an awful diet but it's amazing how the muscle comes back so slowly and yet atrophies so rapidly.

In the sauna the other day in the gym I was reading about this guy from University of WA (here in Seattle where I live) , a CB (American FB ), who tore his achilles tendon and had the cast off at 60 days and was amazed to see his calf had shrunk to about 1/2 of the other one.

I tell ya what, I sure fit into skinny jeans better after the injury.  Hey, take what you can get.

Whats up villain....thanks for the feedback and the boost of confidence. I'm now at 22 weeks post op and am building strength....it seems to be taking it's time compared to before when all i had to do was push my strength a bit and see outstanding results....maybe also because now I am 29 years old....yuck!! I almost have complete full rom but I think i'm short 5degrees or so. Stairs is still an issue but it's getting better. At this point in my recovery where should i be (where were you at?).

thanks in advance

[John42]

Hi Primetime 21

Noted that you commenced driving after six weeks - did you get clearance from your OS, otherwise you could compromise your insurance policy???

JohnK/ Manchester UK

[Primetime_21]

Hi Primetime 21

Noted that you commenced driving after six weeks - did you get clearance from your OS, otherwise you could compromise your insurance policy???

JohnK/ Manchester UK

Yea i got the OK from my OS. Once my brace was opened to 40 degrees he said I was good to drive and got me a temporary handicap placard. My brace is open to 70 degrees now, and I'm getting in and out of the car much easier. I haven't had any issues driving.

[Beasman]

I guess some of you may have seen Betthanie Mattek-Sands patella tendon rupture at Wimbledon this week. My heart went out to her when she was laying there on the court crying out "help me, help me", prompting her opponent to clear the net to see if she could help. Unfortunately for her, she has now joined the club that we all know all too well. I noticed her movements prior to her tendon injury and it appears she was running towards the net, a routine tennis move and not generally seen as risky as all the lateral back and forth, starting and stopping movements, at least as far as injuries are concerned. Since my bilateral ruptures in 2013, many people, especially my PT have marveled how I could sustain even one total patella tendon tear much less two by simply running. She has said even a partial tear is unusual while just running...even at competitive level such as running in the Boston marathon as I was. Well, Ms Mattek-Sands demonstrated it can and does happen. I noticed they have flown her back to New York for her surgery. As we all know, her road back to recovery and especially competitive level will be a greater challenge for her than any of her previous injuries she has fought back from. I hope in a year or two we can see her back on the court again. As I've found out, probably one of the most important things you can do following this gruesome injury(that is the term the news reports described Mattek-Sands injury which is a most appropriate term), is your selection of surgeon to repair the tendon(s). Since I was doped to the hilt and being from out of town and basically by myself, I hadn't a chance to be as selective as I should have been in determining who and where for the surgery. With total tears and hurting like hell, when the first person they sent to me for the surgery appeared, I just said go for it, fix me! The result was my running days are over and I was not able to return to the Boston marathon in 2016 as I had first hoped. I'm still plagued with severe patella alta on both knees and dislocations are a regular occurrence for me. Currently I'm considering a procedure which may improve or perhaps correct the patella alta, but I'm not sold on it just yet...still researching and talking to folks who have been down that road already

Wishing my best for each of you and for Ms Mattek-Sands.

[madvillain]

Wishing my best for each of you and for Ms Mattek-Sands.

That is almost exactly the same mechanism that did mine.  Wow.  I was coming to the net, stopped, and both went out.

Whats up villain....thanks for the feedback and the boost of confidence. I'm now at 22 weeks post op and am building strength....it seems to be taking it's time compared to before when all i had to do was push my strength a bit and see outstanding results....maybe also because now I am 29 years old....yuck!! I almost have complete full rom but I think i'm short 5degrees or so. Stairs is still an issue but it's getting better. At this point in my recovery where should i be (where were you at?).

thanks in advance

You're good.  Keep pushing the rom.  At this point in the recovery I believe I found biking and light hiking quite helpful for that.  Progress comes in fits and starts from months 6-12.  One day you'll feel great, the next you'll feel stiff, sore, weak.   I had some very weird (best way I can describe it) discomfort at this point on the right side of my right knee.  It wasn't painful necessarily but it was odd feeling.  It eventually passed with more rehab. 

One thing that is happening is that the nerves are coming back so you'll start feeling more around the patella in general.  I found the ga sha scraping tool and the Cissus supplement (can be found on amazon) helpful at this point as well.  Scrape the area around your patella with teh tool after working out / rehab and take the Cissus daily.  There are videos on Youtube showing how to scrape, it will help with the rom and scar tissue.

Just completed a 2300 ft gain, 6 mile hike yesterday and a 2400, 10 mill hike this past Tuesday.  Feeling good.  Some stiffness, but I'll always have that.

[Bascat]

Just thought I'd float this. I've posted on general rehab page too. I have a sharpish pain below knee when straightening right leg and putting weight on it or when straightens leg out and resting foot on something. It seems quite specific. I've been discharged surgical and pt although due to go back in a few months to take wires out. I guess I'm answering my own question.  Should probably go back to the docs and get it checked. Any thoughts?

[SellaVee]

It's 4 years since I came home from hospital on Wimbledon men's final day following RPT surgery.  I'd had to wait 3 weeks for the op and I was doing the flowers at my son's wedding later that week.

To say I was devastated by the injury would be an understatement, but finding this forum was the best thing I did.  Reading about everyone else's progress helped me monitor my own.  Back then I had plenty of time to read every single one of the previous posts.

The three Ps helped me.  Positive mental attitude, Physiotherapy, and Posting on here!

One thing I didn't worry about too much was ROM.  I did my knee slides and all the other stuff but I let the numbers look after themselves.  I'd read that it would come back and it did.

I thought I'd never get over it, but I did.  So take heart.  So will you.  And you will gain strength from being on here.

God bless,

Sella

[AroohArooh!!]

I'm just about on the verge of 6 months right now and i have started to feel bursts of recovery and strength gain....as villain stated I can definitely start to feel more around my knee in general but i am also feeling discomfort on my other knee(no injury/surgery). It might be in my head but it scares me lol. Besides that my PT has been completely stopped now because insurance will not cover anymore so from this point on I am on my own. I feel comfortable with it and I'm pretty much at full range of motion when i kneel on it and slide back to a yoga pose. I have started squats with very light weights at this point just the 45LB bar with 10LB plates. I have not done a body weight lunge yet and was wondering if anyone around this point in recovery started to do that. My leg strength is coming bit by bit and my walk is becoming more natural but still a little stiff legged (as in it lacks the natural bend in the knee when I land on that side in stride).

Hope all is well with everyone and any replies is appreciated. As far as the injury in tennis, i saw the replay and it did take me back because my leg folded just like that and her reaction was the same as mine (try to just bring it back to position with no avail.) Hope she makes it back to competitive level with no loss.

[Bascat]

Sounds like you're going well Arhoo. 6 months is still early in terms of recovery. I've only just tentatively started doing lunges after at least a year but is difficult as the muscle activation isn't quite there. Have some side bars or something to hold so you're not putting full weight through the knee. At 6 months I would err on the side of caution unless you can get professional guidance as to what u can or can't do. Keep it going cheers

[Bigtimmy123]

I am in my 12th week, completely out of my brace but limping. I too had the sutures along with the wire through my kneecap. It is very uncomfortable at times because I would do stretches for 20 minutes, stand up and walk fine for 10 minutes then the stiffness returns. I actually feel the wire! Since you're further along than I, do you still feel the wire and how is your stiffness? They tell me I wouldn't feel it after while. Thanks for any info

[Bigtimmy123]

I know it's been a while but how are you doing with your sutures? I recently had this injury along with sutures and I'm just looking for feedback

[Bigtimmy123]

@chiropractor2001 you did have the sutures surgery, correct? How is the wire in your knee feeling? I am going through something similar

[Bigtimmy123]

I am trying to see how you are doing with the sutures? You did have the wire through your knee, right? I am not stalking you but I'm not too savvy with following responses on this site, lol.. I'm just anxious to know if you still have the wire in and if so does it bother you at all. Mine gets uncomfortable at times when I'm walking and stiffens up often, hope to hear you're progressing

[Lairy75]

Hi everyone
I've found this page after 2 weeks trawling the net for info.  I am 2 weeks post op (UK NHS) from rupturing my left patella tendon after playing soccer on the beach with my son.  I have to admit my first thoughts are of devastation, particularly reading how long and slow some of the recoveries have been but I really hope you can help me with some questions I have.

I have a bit of a history of tendonitis in both knees from playing soccer for which I used to get physio.  However I'd had no problems at all these last few years and hadn't played soccer for 2 years.   I'd played a bit of tennis over the last couple of months and felt a bit of pain in both knees once again.  I think I probably aggravated them further at Crossfit which I've been doing for the last year without any problems.

I think I probably got my foot stuck in the sand which caused the rupture  but I am paranoid that both my knees are weak and I might rupture my right knee, especially as I'm putting so.much pressure on it every time I stand up.  Should I therefore be doing calf raises or any other exercises on my right Leg? (I've ordered some ankle weights)

I'm 41 year old and have been relatively active running around after my 2 kids, going to gym 3 times a week and doing a bit cycling tennis etc.  I'm definitely not super fit but I was in the best shape I've ever been in which is why this is so frustrating.  I don't think I will ever risk Crossfit again but realistically how long until I can start going back to the gym?

I have a leg brace on and have been told not to bend for 6 weeks.  I assumed i would get the brace off after that but reading your posts im thinking I will now have it on a lot longer.   How long should I expect to have it and at what point can I bend it enough to sit down?  What about driving?
 
I feel so dependent on others but my wife has been amazing and I'm far from bored with my kids on school hols and Netflix to keep me company but I'll never take for granted my mobility again.  I'm really missing the little things - i was teaching my 5 year old daughter to ride her bike and I feel like I'll never carry her up to bed again.   I just feel so old all of a sudden. 

Any advice would be gratefully received.