Patella Tendon Surgery

[Jim A 4]

anyone else go through this? Appears to be torn, not ruptured but I've been skating on it without power for a while now...just wondering what the recovery time is post-surgery..my doc thought 4-6 weeks was about right...

[EBondo 233]

I know this is different than surgery, but when I dislocated my patella, the doctors said around 5-7 weeks, and it turned out to be 10-12 weeks for me, and I was only 14 years old then. It was a very long and grueling recovery, and I'm still not 100% on my knee, it dislocated again last season, but not nearly as bad as the first.

[hockeymom 2]

Depends on your notion of "recovery" I think. I know someone who had this surgery last summer...it was ruptured not torn...if I remember correctly it was 5 or 6 weeks immobile, at that point they were recovered for a "normal" person...THEN rehab/physio to bring it back to "athletic recovery". But I have no idea what the physio recovery period was.

I'm seeing my sports-physio friend on Saturday, I'll ask him.

[Jim A 4]

I'm not skating anymore just so it doesn't rupture...but my doc is a hockeydoc and knows when I talk recovery it means back on the ice.....

*knocking on wood** hopefully it stays torn..

[tsanga 0]

Had a necrotized section of patellar tendon removed from patellar tendonosis. Doc said it developed micro-tears that weren't healing and the thing was like cheese cloth. Now this surgery required a longitudinal incision to the patellar tendon (in the direction of the tendon fibers) so it was still relatively strong after the surgery, but a rupture would be a bit different where there would be transverse tearing. Of course there are different degrees of tears/ruptures.

Recovery:

Was in a leg immobilizer for 2-3 weeks after surgery. Started physical therapy at 4 weeks post-op, twice a week. Got the ok to start running at 8 weeks post-op. Started playing basketball again at 3/4 speed at 15 weeks post-op, but still doing physical therapy once a week. At this point my knee was probably about 70-80%. Lots of soreness and icing after every time I played. At 24 weeks post-op they finally cut me lose and my knee was about 90-95%. All in all it took 8-9 months to get back to 100% athletic performance, a lot of physical therapy, sticking to regulary treatments (icing and stretching everyday), and tons of discipline and motivation (never skipped a workout). And I haven't even said anything about aches and soreness that developed in my other knee because it was bearing more load while my injured leg was weaker.

hockeymom is right....I was told 3-4 weeks recovery. This meant 3-4 weeks before I was walking normally again, but to perform athletically and at an intense level was something else. I wasn't even allowed to run until 8 weeks post-op.

I don't know how old you are but I got this surgery when I was 28. If you're much younger you could probably recover faster. Also, basketball is much higher impact than hockey so skating can probably come before intense jumping and sprinting.

[Jim A 4]

I'm not younger (35) but sounds similar with the longitudinal incision he was describing and reattaching (if it hasn't propagated)...guess I'll find out when I go for the follow up :(

[tsanga 0]

Just curious - how did you injure it? Sounds like a 2nd degree tear?

At least it sounds like you're with the right doc, someone who knows sports. I've been to orthopaedists who "specialize in sports injuries," then I've been to my doc who actually knows what it means and takes for an athlete (he was an associate surgeon for the Vikings at one time, I think).

Same thing with physical therapy. There are physical therapists who take you as far as it takes for you to function, then there are physical therapists (mine was Rich Gannon's therapist) who know how to push you safely to the limit to get you to perform at a high level again. Huge difference.

[Jim A 4]

I think it happened when I got caught in a rut right at the same time when someone just small enough slid it into my knee and it popped out and then back in pretty quickly...

[hockechamp14 0]

before you go under the knife make sure it is something that can't get cleared up by Active Release Treatment (ART). It's somewhat new stuff, but apparently they can fix almost anything. I realize I'm some random guy on a message board, but you should seriously look into this before considering surgery further.

[tsanga 0]

before you go under the knife make sure it is something that can't get cleared up by Active Release Treatment (ART). It's somewhat new stuff, but apparently they can fix almost anything. I realize I'm some random guy on a message board, but you should seriously look into this before considering surgery further.

Have you had it?

[hockechamp14 0]

before you go under the knife make sure it is something that can't get cleared up by Active Release Treatment (ART). It's somewhat new stuff, but apparently they can fix almost anything. I realize I'm some random guy on a message board, but you should seriously look into this before considering surgery further.

Have you had it?

No but you can ask Gary Roberts who was medically retired from hockey until he got active release treatment:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdispla...p3?pid=00004598

Note that I do not have any interest in money at stake through this so if you have your mind set on surgery, good luck with it.

My sister has some shoulder problems, which is how I heard about it, although she hasn't gotten this treatment yet either.

[tsanga 0]

Have you had it?

No but you can ask Gary Roberts who was medically retired from hockey until he got active release treatment:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdispla...p3?pid=00004598

Note that I do not have any interest in money at stake through this so if you have your mind set on surgery, good luck with it.

My sister has some shoulder problems, which is how I heard about it, although she hasn't gotten this treatment yet either.

That's nice, I read the sales pitch too. Unfortunately, we can't just call up Gary Roberts or shoot him an email.

Well, I'd be interested to find out what your sister thinks if she gets the treatment.

[Jim A 4]

appreciate the info...for me surgery is the best option..I know it will heal ..am aware of the rehab time, and when I'm recovered..will be 100%...my MRI consultation is on monday so will know a lot more then...hoping for best case scenario..can't really take a couple weeks off of work or work from home at the moment..too many meetings/

I think Gary Roberts needed a good deal of time off to heal in general...not knocking the treatment...regardless of treatment he needed that year + off the ice and such..

[tsanga 0]

I found this old topic.

Jim A, what did you find out? You going under the knife?

[TBLfan 25]

Here's a decent topic for ya linkage. MeffyuhTJRest sent me a pm offering help if I needed/wanted to know more.

Here is most of the pm he sent to me:

Hey, this site was extremely helpful to me. It's a message board for knee problems.

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?board=16.0

This forum is for the patella joint.

Also try this:

http://www.kneehippain.com/patient_animations.php

It's a site with animations of the different surgical options. I just had a Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy done as well as a Lateral Release. Where are you from? I live in NY so if you are in the NYC Metro area I can recommend the Dr that did my procedure.

[tsanga 0]

Good stuff, TBL. But I hope I never need knee surgery again. The surgery itself wasn't bad and it was cool that I got to watch the whole thing on an overhead LCD panel, but to get back to full athletic performance took so much rehab and dedication that I can't see myself doing again as I get older.

[badsk8ter 0]

Not near as serious but I'm rehabbing now for surgery on my meniscus (two weeks ago tomorrow). That whole 2-3 weeks recovery time is quite different than recovery time needed to be able to perform athletically. Luckilly, it'll probably be "only" another 2-3 weeks before I'll be able to start playing again (at least I hope). I don't know what I would do if I had take off several months and dedicate it to rehab and physical therapy. I'm not good at being injured. I have no patience.

[Jim A 4]

actually i went under the knife on the 14th and started doing some light exercise as of Monday and hope to get clearance to play on my next visit on 8-7 (which is good because I have games on 8-8 and 8-9!)..wasn't as bad as thought, thanks for asking..

[Sprungster 5]

Congrats on surviving the ordeal and I wish you the best on your rehab. Things definitely get better with work and time.

I was skating cold on the street in Chacago a few years ago, and went for a hard left stop. I didn't notice a ramp going up into a store, and my right foot went up the ramp while the rest of my leg went the other way. I stopped for sure.

It tore the ligament in half and took off the bottom of my patela with it. I didn't know what had happened till I tried to stand up. My leg came apart and my patela was up my theigh by my pocket. The standing up didn't help at all cause I tore the surface off the inside of my calf. Everything was BLACK and I still have discoloration above my ankle. After the successful surgery by a super, jock doc, I couldn't wear the removable cast couse of the torn surface tissue. I wore it at night and sometimes when I was up on crutches. A lot of my rehab was getting up to my third floor walk-up.

The first time I showed up at the doc's without the cast he freaked out. But I showed him how much I could move it already and he only yelled at me.

It's still numb and a bit tender, and I really hate to have my knee on the floor still. I was up skating again too soon, also, but that was a bunch of the rest of my rehab. My frames are a big big big help with the knee thing, cause they carve turns without stress or drag on your knee.

I'm way passed worring about it when I'm playing. But I haven't skated on conventional fames for a long time. I'm actually afraid to use them anymore cause I'm spoiled.

[tsanga 0]

actually i went under the knife on the 14th and started doing some light exercise as of Monday and hope to get clearance to play on my next visit on 8-7 (which is good because I have games on 8-8 and 8-9!)..wasn't as bad as thought, thanks for asking..

This sounds like a pretty short rehab schedule. Good luck with it and wish you all the best.