Ruptured Patellar Tendon

[Dangling Unit]

I wish I could say I did this snowboarding K1, but alas, it's nothing cool at all. I was moving a load of topsoil to my backyard, which has a slight grade. My right foot slipped, the wheelbarrow planted, and as I was coming down from the slip, my left knee, which had everything in tension, slammed into the wheelbarrow handle. I laid there, hitting the ground, in agony, until my daughters boyfriend saw me laying there. Went to the ER and I had ruptured my patellar tendon. That was Saturday.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I'm having surgery. The pain leading up to surgery was bearable - annoying, at worst. After coming to, however, the pain was unbearable. I spent 2.5 hours in post-op, just for them to get my pain below a 6. I had multiple doses of dilaudid, and it didnt help. They gave me percocet, and that helped some. I spent another 2 hours in recovery/discharge, just trying to get the pain below a 4 (arbitrary, subjective numbers). The after-surgery pain was excruciating.

Today, it's not so bad. I havent taken any narcotics - only 1000mg acetaminophen and 800mg ibuprofen, which is actually a wonder combination.

For those unfortunate souls that have had this surgery, how was the pain? How long before physical therapy? Did your quads atrophy a lot? How long before you were able to really squat and deadlift again?

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[Bigtex]

I guess in 2012 I had the same injury but mine was squatting. Ruptured the patella and detached all three quads. The pain was not so bad until after surgery. They did a nerve block and there was absolutely no pain for about 24 hours. After that it was bad and I refused to take any opiates. I had the surgery on Saturday morning and was back at work Monday morning and working out again a week later. I was released in 4 weeks and was already doing single leg, leg press. Yes the quads did atrophy some but the strength came back quickly. I retired from powerlifting after that and never squatted or deadlifted again. Mostly because I had enough after 27 years. Use everything in the tool box to rehab, My doctor did PRP (platlet rich plasma) therapy. I also used GH, IGF-1 Lr3, and MGF. He told me that I headed faster than anyone he had ever seen and he is the chief surgeon for the Houston Texans and has done several of these. Do lots of work on a bicycle so you don't develop a lot of calcium deposits and get a stiff knee. You may only be able to do half rotations at first but keep working on it until you can go full ROM. I did my own rehab.

 

[myosin]

Get on BPC157 and TB500 stat.

Gets LOTS of water with that much ibuprofen... many have had acute renal failure and everyone is different how long it takes to get it.

 

[rawdeal]

Was gonna tell DU "every case is different" after reading his post, but then I read Bigtex's post, and with mine added, maybe that will illustrate the differences.

Mine was a fall down a slippery riverbank, resulting in a ruptured patellar tendon and avuncular fracture of patella. Goddam dogs made me do it, with their low centers of gravity and 3 legs each, they have a leg up on me for tricky terrain situations. Had I been able to deploy my own 3rd leg things mighta been different, but that little fucker doesn't deploy as quickly as it used to. Think I did a somersault cause I remember a point where all I saw was the sky, think I musta landed where that one leg was in a super A2G squat but with more force than I'd ever put on it in the gym. Was never concussed, but it happened so fast, I'm guessing more than remembering. Damn dogs were fine, btw, and visibly amused.

No other injuries, just the leg, zero pain even, IF I kept the leg off the ground. Slightest touch of the ground and knife-like pain shot up the leg, with lightening bolt flashes in my skull. Went to ER, it was Labor Day weekend, I was a non-life threatening case, and surgery was delayed a day, leg immobilized and Perocet meanwhile. MRIs performed. Surgery next day, post-op leg totally immobilized, plus Perocet. Transferred to an in-patient rehab hospital for 2 weeks, where I did exercises and was trained to function for when I went home, using a walker, "toileting," that kinda bullshit. Perocet script had followed me over there, but I told Nurses I was ok. I imagine there still woulda been plenty of pain if I put weight on that leg, but I followed orders and did not. A visiting P.T. and home exercises for a week, then 2-3 months of PT in a PT center when I could drive, the immobilizer had come off by then. All that took me from September to end of the year, was back in my gym by early January, and this was 3-4 yrs ago. Got plenty of protein all along, but I did not use any of the other stuff Bigtex did ... wish now I had tried some of that.

Today, I am happy with where I'm at. I tend to do medium-high reps with lower weights on everything now, but the intensity is still there, still go to max, just reach it at reps higher than in the past. There IS some atrophy, not to the extent ppl notice it, but I can see it when I specifically look for it. That kneecap healed a little funny too, looks a little different under the skin. None of this affects performance, however; I'm bilateral-equal in strength on legs.

@Bigtex ... your doctor did the PRP. Was he also involved with the other stuff, or did he not even know about it, or ... ?

 

[Bigtex]

@Bigtex ... your doctor did the PRP. Was he also involved with the other stuff, or did he not even know about it, or ... ?

My doctor asked me if I would be willing to try the PRP and of course I was. He was not involved in the other. I asked him about it and he said he was aware of what athletes do but can not give any advice in that area. He did say he knew I would to what I had to do.

My surgery was postponed 2 weeks and I fired my 1st surgeon. I hired the Texas's chief surgeon. I also had to do some cardiac testing because my EKG showed I was skipping a heart beat. After two days of testing a cardiac team determined I was very healthy.

My rectus femoris was also detached at the knee and I could not even move my leg. Both vasti also detached. So I have a pretty good 6" scar.

 

[rawdeal]

Dayum, without knowing wtf I'm talking about, I remember Kaz tearing a Pec in an early WSM, and when he came back his Bench was never the same. The talk was that the Pec had reattached itself in a less advantageous position before doctors got a hold of him.

Thinking that would be the case with that 2 week postponement you had, and that doctors would work hard to avoid that, if only for fear of litigation.