Fractured patella and so confused.... Surgery or not?

[nicoleaag]

Hey Irishgemmm! I know it's been years since your post, but I'm currently in the exact same situation as you! Gray area—2mm displacement, doc says I can or not need surgery, and even said the exact same thing about “if you were older, I wouldn’t operate on you”! Crazy how similar! How has it been for you since you didn't need surgery? Do you feel any arthritic pain?

My doc says I don’t really need surgery and can heal non-surgically, but prefers I get surgery so he can close the gap to decrease risk of arthritis. I just don't know if it's worth going through the entire process of surgery if I can also heal without one. He said if it was him in my shoes, he’d opt for surgery.

[The_KNEEguru]

You seem to have two threads going...Not a major issue but just pointing it out.

This paper says

In a stable fracture, also called a “nondisplaced” fracture, the broken pieces of your bone remain essentially in the right place. They may still be connected to each other, or they may be separated by a millimeter or two. This type of fracture usually heals well without surgery.

- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/d ... a-fracture