Fractured knee cap question

SCoil123

Hi guys. So I’ve posted a few injuries in the past as I’m prone to hurting myself. Recently my knee had an unfortunate run in with a car door resulting in a small fracture. I’ve already been told it can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on severity before a fracture like this is healed enough to start walking normally and resuming activity. I’m letting the orthopedic doc decide when that will be for me.

My question is this - to anyone who has had a similar injury... How long after you were cleared to resume normal activity before you could jog without pain? Or lift again adding extra weight? Basically resume fitness in additional to regular day to day stuff

lorrpb

"2-8 weeks"
Do. Not. Push. It.

DomesticKat

I fractured both knee caps, among other things, when an old lady hit me with her car while I was in a crosswalk. That was 12 years ago. Let your ortho and PT (if you have one) make the decision. I started using the elliptical as part of my rehab so they may do the same for you but ultimately it depends on what your doc tells you to do.

SCoil123

DomesticKat wrote: »

I fractured both knee caps, among other things, when an old lady hit me with her car while I was in a crosswalk. That was 12 years ago. Let your ortho and PT (if you have one) make the decision. I started using the elliptical as part of my rehab so they may do the same for you but ultimately it depends on what your doc tells you to do.

I’m definitely letting ortho tell me when I can resume activity and have an appointment coming up the 22nd. I’m down with my leg up until then 90% of the day. I think I more wanted to hear peoples experience of what it was like getting back to workouts after the doctor gave them the ok

aokoye

I've posted similar things here and various other forums. I'm 12 weeks out from a tibial tubercle osteotomy (so essentially my tibia was broken and screwed back together) and mpfl reconstruction. It's my second one in two years and fourth TTO in general (due to research moving forward - there were four plus years between the two sets of surgeries).

Post-op weeks 1-6: I was completely non weight bearing on my surgical leg, had PT twice a week, did my PT exercises a lot as well as a lot of scar mobalization (three times a day for at least 10 min each time). Did more sleeping than anything else because bodies need a ton of rest after massive physical traumas.
Week 6: Started the bike inside with very little resistance - this was only possible because of all of the scar massage. PT got scaled down to once a week, added in mini squats, various planks of various types, calf raises, and other things I don't remember. Started swimming again (and eventually stopped because I don't have the physical energy to swim and go to school full time and bike.
Week 8: Started interval workouts on the bike, progressed with PT (including adding in balance stuff), at some point we started using the leg press during PT (probably week 7). Low weight high reps.
Week 10: All of the above with hamstring curl machine added - PT emailed my ortho and asked her if we could progress me from the TTO protocol to the MPFL one because I was progressing far faster than anyone expected.
Week 11.5: (so monday of this week): moved up to phase 3 of my PT protocol (they are dictated both by how far along you are post op and by your progress in the previous phase) and switched to the MPFL one. We can now move up in weight, started step up and step down progressions (step downs I swear...the bain of my existence). My PT is hoping to do an isokinetic test on me in five weeks. I see my ortho for my 12 week post op on Friday and hopefully I will be allowed to start biking outside again

In terms of running. I am not allowed to even try to start to run (save for to catch a bus and things like that) until I'm at least 18 weeks post op, and that's with the much less restrictive MPFL repair/reconstruction plan. That is also assuming my ortho even allows my PT and I to aim for 18 weeks - there are zero guarantees that she'll say yes. In my case, my PT's office (which is at a teaching hospital) also does isokinetic testing prior to allowing anyone start a running program after major injuries or surgeries involving knees/legs, this includes people who were runners prior (and yes people try to cheat and no it never works). The iso test involves being strapped into a isokinetic dynamometer. It's not fun and my goal for the next five weeks is to work on my quad, glute, and hamstring strength on gym machines with that test in mine (that's on top of everything else I'm doing and with my PT's blessing/urging). Note that there has also been zero jumping of any kind allowed. None. That will maybe start towards the end of this phase but I'd have to check.

In terms of the bike, like I said - I'm still not allowed to bike outside. The hope is that I'll be allowed to at my appt on Friday at 12 weeks post op. The only reason I suspect I've been allowed to try to progress as quickly as I have been inside is because I had the same surgery last year on my other knee with the same surgeon and I'm seeing the same PT. They know me well and they know that I know not to push myself too hard. Like I said, the only reason I was even able to bend my knee enough to pedal my bike at 6 weeks post op was because I did a ton of scar mobilization. Like, massive amounts. Had I not I wouldn't have gotten my flexion back nearly as quickly (as was the case last year). Interval wise I've progressed very quickly and my FTP as of two weeks ago is 231 which is 4 watts down from where it was in September (which is absurd - I don't know how that happened). I bike three to four days a week and am following the Sweet Spot Base plan on TrainerRoad. I'm in the middle of week six of six of SSB1 (of two). I've also done a lot of checking back with my PT in terms of bike stuff and progressing on it. She has essentially given me free reign at this point, because she knows I won't push myself into delaying my progress.

So yea, currently my plan is biking three days a week, PT once a week, weight machines for leg stuff twice a week outside of PT, PT home exercises every day.