Anyone else broken a kneecap?
Discussion
As per title really, just wanted to see if anyone here had experience of a broken patella (kneecap) and how long there recovery was?
I fell over out walking my dog Friday eve and smashed my patella into 5 or so pieces, bit sore! Cue an ambulance ride, a dose of ketamin and a full leg cast Friday night. Went back into hospital yesterday to have an op to pin and wire the pieces together and back home now with another cast on and crutches. Due back in two weeks for stitches out and replace cast with a brace to limit the angle I can bend the knee joint. Bloody uncomfortable at the moment, can't seem to find a position sitting or laying that is comfy.
Does anyone have any experience of a similar injury?
I fell over out walking my dog Friday eve and smashed my patella into 5 or so pieces, bit sore! Cue an ambulance ride, a dose of ketamin and a full leg cast Friday night. Went back into hospital yesterday to have an op to pin and wire the pieces together and back home now with another cast on and crutches. Due back in two weeks for stitches out and replace cast with a brace to limit the angle I can bend the knee joint. Bloody uncomfortable at the moment, can't seem to find a position sitting or laying that is comfy.
Does anyone have any experience of a similar injury?
A bloke in work recently broke his. Is has been about a month on crutches and he has just had the cast taken off and the joint restrictor put on. He is still on crutches but has just driven again so is getting some control back (left kneecap and driving a manual). I can't remember how long he said before it gets taken off but it is getting better quite quick for him.
They gave me ketamine when they first put the temp cast on on Friday night,only the one dose, I declined a top up when coming around as I thought I'd wet myself but it was just the warm damp cast haha!, bloody wierd sensation that was! Pain was fine whilst leg was laid out but they said it would be unbearable to lift leg and cast it without giving me something stronger than laughing gas.
Edited by jackthelad1984 on Tuesday 8th April 00:12
Rostfritt said:
A bloke in work recently broke his. Is has been about a month on crutches and he has just had the cast taken off and the joint restrictor put on. He is still on crutches but has just driven again so is getting some control back (left kneecap and driving a manual). I can't remember how long he said before it gets taken off but it is getting better quite quick for him.
Mine is also left knee, I am having the knee restrictor brace put on in a fortnight hopefully. If I can get back into a car in a month I'd be happy! It will be longer than that until I'm riding again though sadly, thats the bummer, just got my CBR mot'd for summer last week! Doh!Surgeon said he expected at least 3 months until fit for work, as I'm currently contracting I don't get sick pay so hoping it may be less.
jackthelad1984 said:
Mine is also left knee, I am having the knee restrictor brace put on in a fortnight hopefully. If I can get back into a car in a month I'd be happy! It will be longer than that until I'm riding again though sadly, thats the bummer, just got my CBR mot'd for summer last week! Doh!
Surgeon said he expected at least 3 months until fit for work, as I'm currently contracting I don't get sick pay so hoping it may be less.
He managed to hobble into work after about 2 weeks, but this is for an office job and he is not one to sit around doing nothing for more than a day. It would obviously depend on what you are doing as to when you manage to get back into work. You might be able to get some sort of statutory sick pay or even disability benefit if you are going to be off for a while though.Surgeon said he expected at least 3 months until fit for work, as I'm currently contracting I don't get sick pay so hoping it may be less.
Im a Fabricator in a Dockyard so a little different to a desk job sadly, will have to look into what benefits if any I'm allowed, never had any before so don't know where to start with that. I have just been offered a permanent position where I'm contracting. If this was a month later I'd be sat happy on sick pay but hey ho sh!t happens. I'd happily go back on some sort of light duties if possible but that's something I'd have to sort in a week or two when I see how my knee is.
Never had a cast on before and it's driving me mad already! And a downstairs toilet would be a godsend right now! Haha
Never had a cast on before and it's driving me mad already! And a downstairs toilet would be a godsend right now! Haha
Mr Pies said:
I'm sorry but they have you Ketamine?! Shirley that's not right?
Ketamine is a very useful drug in emergency care.depending on dose it's a bloody good painkiller, a reasonable dissociative / sedative or a decent general anaesthetic with a reduced risk of cardiovacular collapse compared to other anaesthetic agents when used in sub optimal conditions.
It was certainly effective in casting ny leg, hard to describe how it felt really, I knew what was happening and could feel my leg being manhandled etc butcouldnt do anything about it, was a bit of shapes and colours and eyes rolling, according to my other half I gave out a good yelp when they lifted my leg. As I was coming round she asked how it felt and apparently I described it as like a kaleidoscope with ice cream, which caused a few laughs in the emergency room! Probably only lasted 5-10 mins but got my damaged knee in a cast fairly quickly which can only be a good thing.
Broke my left kneecap into 7 pieces a few years ago.
No wire or pins fortunately, but had full leg cast for two months, followed by physio for another six in total (well, self physio due to the fact the one assigned by the NHS had an aversion to actually stretching out my ligaments and tendons...)
Had to go back after 3 days in cast as my hanging baskets were being trapped by the open top of the cast and being turned into very scared raised beds!
I wish I had been given a brace - I was taking weight on the leg from 3 weeks in, and by the end I was walking without crutches - just very oddly due to not being able to bend my leg. When the cast was removed my thigh was skinnier than my forearm - it wastes away quicker than any other part of the body I was told. To be honest, it's only now 8 years later that I can honestly say both legs are equal strength, squats helped massively for that.
Good luck chap, hope you don't go mental with boredom and get moving quickly.
No wire or pins fortunately, but had full leg cast for two months, followed by physio for another six in total (well, self physio due to the fact the one assigned by the NHS had an aversion to actually stretching out my ligaments and tendons...)
Had to go back after 3 days in cast as my hanging baskets were being trapped by the open top of the cast and being turned into very scared raised beds!
I wish I had been given a brace - I was taking weight on the leg from 3 weeks in, and by the end I was walking without crutches - just very oddly due to not being able to bend my leg. When the cast was removed my thigh was skinnier than my forearm - it wastes away quicker than any other part of the body I was told. To be honest, it's only now 8 years later that I can honestly say both legs are equal strength, squats helped massively for that.
Good luck chap, hope you don't go mental with boredom and get moving quickly.
I made a right mess of my right knee cap playing rugby, broken and tendons cut etc. I had a temp cast on for a fortnight then another for 4 then months of physiotherapy. Worst part of it was going for a dump as it was a full leg cast and I couldn't hinge that leg it would raise up when sitting down-needed a foot stool.
Will depend on the serverity but it's not something I'd ever like to repeat I was out of action for about 18 months all told.
Will depend on the serverity but it's not something I'd ever like to repeat I was out of action for about 18 months all told.
Thankfully i only had the cast on for 2 1/2 weeks, had the brace on for a couple weeks today and have just adjusted them to allow 60 degrees movement, though i can only really get to about 45 at the moment. The boredom is a killer, my main hobbies are going out with my dogs, and motorbikes/cars etc so not being able to do those is a killer. Iv been watching plenty of films and playing a bit of xbox, even hoovering just to pass the time!
I think i have been fairly lucky, kneecap was badly broken into 5 pieces which have been screwed and wired back together as there was a good inch at least between the top and bottom pieces, luckily the tendons were not torn, just badly bruised and swollen. Through my lack of keeping my leg up high, alot of swelling and bruising went down to my ankle and foot, this was just as sore as my knee and i didnt even injure it!! (If i could figure out how to resize pics id put some up).
Im walking around the house ok (hobbling), stairs are still taken very slowly, and i know what you mean about visits to the toilet!! A downstairs loo would have been a godsend these last few weeks rather than up and down the bloody stairs every time.
The pain has been fairly manageable, i dont really like taking drugs if i can help it, the worst has been the general aching at night. Not had a good night sleep in ages, and im generally up at silly oclock as the tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in this brace must annoy the other half. So my sleeping routine is all gone to pot. Never thought id miss wok quite so much! And ssp is pants! Got another 4 weeks in the leg brace, dont know when il be back to work.
Surgeon said i may have to have another small op to remove the wires around the kneecap, as due to the nature of my job, they may cause pain, i think they already are as i get some shooting pains across the front of my kneecap, but this should only be a simple short op so shouldnt keep me out of action to long hopefully!
I think i have been fairly lucky, kneecap was badly broken into 5 pieces which have been screwed and wired back together as there was a good inch at least between the top and bottom pieces, luckily the tendons were not torn, just badly bruised and swollen. Through my lack of keeping my leg up high, alot of swelling and bruising went down to my ankle and foot, this was just as sore as my knee and i didnt even injure it!! (If i could figure out how to resize pics id put some up).
Im walking around the house ok (hobbling), stairs are still taken very slowly, and i know what you mean about visits to the toilet!! A downstairs loo would have been a godsend these last few weeks rather than up and down the bloody stairs every time.
The pain has been fairly manageable, i dont really like taking drugs if i can help it, the worst has been the general aching at night. Not had a good night sleep in ages, and im generally up at silly oclock as the tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in this brace must annoy the other half. So my sleeping routine is all gone to pot. Never thought id miss wok quite so much! And ssp is pants! Got another 4 weeks in the leg brace, dont know when il be back to work.
Surgeon said i may have to have another small op to remove the wires around the kneecap, as due to the nature of my job, they may cause pain, i think they already are as i get some shooting pains across the front of my kneecap, but this should only be a simple short op so shouldnt keep me out of action to long hopefully!
jackthelad1984 said:
Thankfully i only had the cast on for 2 1/2 weeks, had the brace on for a couple weeks today and have just adjusted them to allow 60 degrees movement, though i can only really get to about 45 at the moment. The boredom is a killer, my main hobbies are going out with my dogs, and motorbikes/cars etc so not being able to do those is a killer. Iv been watching plenty of films and playing a bit of xbox, even hoovering just to pass the time!
I think i have been fairly lucky, kneecap was badly broken into 5 pieces which have been screwed and wired back together as there was a good inch at least between the top and bottom pieces, luckily the tendons were not torn, just badly bruised and swollen. Through my lack of keeping my leg up high, alot of swelling and bruising went down to my ankle and foot, this was just as sore as my knee and i didnt even injure it!! (If i could figure out how to resize pics id put some up).
Im walking around the house ok (hobbling), stairs are still taken very slowly, and i know what you mean about visits to the toilet!! A downstairs loo would have been a godsend these last few weeks rather than up and down the bloody stairs every time.
The pain has been fairly manageable, i dont really like taking drugs if i can help it, the worst has been the general aching at night. Not had a good night sleep in ages, and im generally up at silly oclock as the tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in this brace must annoy the other half. So my sleeping routine is all gone to pot. Never thought id miss wok quite so much! And ssp is pants! Got another 4 weeks in the leg brace, dont know when il be back to work.
Surgeon said i may have to have another small op to remove the wires around the kneecap, as due to the nature of my job, they may cause pain, i think they already are as i get some shooting pains across the front of my kneecap, but this should only be a simple short op so shouldnt keep me out of action to long hopefully!
The best advice I can give you is to concentrate on getting your range of movement (hugely important!) back as early as possible and doing straight leg raises so that you can lock your knee.I think i have been fairly lucky, kneecap was badly broken into 5 pieces which have been screwed and wired back together as there was a good inch at least between the top and bottom pieces, luckily the tendons were not torn, just badly bruised and swollen. Through my lack of keeping my leg up high, alot of swelling and bruising went down to my ankle and foot, this was just as sore as my knee and i didnt even injure it!! (If i could figure out how to resize pics id put some up).
Im walking around the house ok (hobbling), stairs are still taken very slowly, and i know what you mean about visits to the toilet!! A downstairs loo would have been a godsend these last few weeks rather than up and down the bloody stairs every time.
The pain has been fairly manageable, i dont really like taking drugs if i can help it, the worst has been the general aching at night. Not had a good night sleep in ages, and im generally up at silly oclock as the tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in this brace must annoy the other half. So my sleeping routine is all gone to pot. Never thought id miss wok quite so much! And ssp is pants! Got another 4 weeks in the leg brace, dont know when il be back to work.
Surgeon said i may have to have another small op to remove the wires around the kneecap, as due to the nature of my job, they may cause pain, i think they already are as i get some shooting pains across the front of my kneecap, but this should only be a simple short op so shouldnt keep me out of action to long hopefully!
Everything else can be worked on in time once you're fully healed
Engineer1 said:
I've only damaged my knee ligaments but got one of those hinged knee restrictiors on. Are any of you guys struggling to sleep comfortably, as the sodding restrictor means I can only sleep on my back and during the night it gets uncomfortable.
Yeah I have the same problem, nightmare to get comfortable! jackthelad1984 said:
Engineer1 said:
I've only damaged my knee ligaments but got one of those hinged knee restrictiors on. Are any of you guys struggling to sleep comfortably, as the sodding restrictor means I can only sleep on my back and during the night it gets uncomfortable.
Yeah I have the same problem, nightmare to get comfortable! Having had all sorts of stuff with my knee I can't imagine how painful that must be. I had a patella tendon harvest for a new ACL and that took a bite out of the bottom of the cap. Been a bugger to kneel on ever since and that was about 20 years ago!
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