Knee Injuries Unite...

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  • scarletleavy
    scarletleavy Posts: 841 Member
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    I played competitive soccer when I was a teenager and fractured my patella my senior season. I'm still pissed about it, this ***** from a team in the UK flying slide-tackled me and took out my knee. I also have really bad tendonitis in both my knees from overtraining.

    I had multiple MRIs and went through months of physical therapy, but no surgery or anything. I used my injury as an excuse to be lazy for a few years, gained about 20 pounds. I haven't had any serious problems since starting to workout again. I'm just careful when I do squats and lunges and stop if I feel any pain, but so far so good. But I run up and down mountains, squat with lots of weights, do lots of lunges, lots of plyo type exercises. I'm actually surprised I haven't had any more problems. I guess it recovered well with all those years of laziness? *Shrugs*
  • FionaNiConnor
    FionaNiConnor Posts: 90 Member
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    In January 2012, I slipped on an ice patch. My foot & calf went right; my knee and thigh and the rest of me went left. My kneecap was caught in the crossfire and dislocated. As if that weren't bad enough, the ridge on the back of the kneecap snapped off.

    I have a hypermobile joint/hyperflexible tendon & ligament condition, so thankfully (miraculously?) there was no damage to my ligaments. There was minor muscle tearing, but the broken patella was really the only major concern.

    I ended up sitting on my couch for nearly a month post-injury. Since the most exercise I was allowed was to crutch it between the kitchen and couch (all of 25'), I put on probably 20lbs. My orthopedist said to me "it's time you lost a few pounds," so as soon as he gave me the all-clear, I just started walking vigorously. He was amazed that I could walk normally about a week after getting off the couch- meaning my gait was normal; I was in an amount of pain that, according to the doctor, "should be crippling."

    Surgery had to happen- there was a large quantity of bone fragments floating around in the knee and that crap all had to be taken out. That was in late March 2011.

    Anyway, I got on a scale in July and saw the number 280. No way. Then I joined MFP and have been working on recovering from the knee injury and working on dropping 80lbs since.
    I just joined a gym (finally?) and have been working through a lot of cardio. The knee doctor recommends I stick to my brace for the gym- that's mentally a little difficult; I haven't had to wear the brace since late April 2011. But if it keeps my knee safe, then I am all for it.
    Eventually I'll get into a weight lifting sort of program but I'll stick to the cardio until the leg is supporting itself better.

    Good luck, everyone!
  • craig1970
    craig1970 Posts: 139 Member
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    I ruptured my left quadriceps tendon in October 2010. I had surgery to repair it and I didn't run on it until October 2011, where I got up to 45 mins on the treadmill, covering about 5km. I have since stopped running on it and only use an eliptical now. It just always aches especially in the colder weather. I also do aquajogging which is a great fun non-impact burn.
    I take glucosamine and cod liver oil supplements. Don't know if they work but I'm not stopping taking them to find out if it gets worse.
    Knee injurys are a *****!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    1. Knee exploded in a car accident. Looked like a football. I believe they had to replace the patella.
    2. Surgery, a year of physical therapy. Since then? Strengthening is king. No aches and pains since I started squatting.
    3. Yes and no. It can still just "give out" now and then and the joint is noisy as hell. You know what I mean.

    It took about 2 years to get "back to normal"
  • stu_j_lfc
    stu_j_lfc Posts: 37 Member
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    Patella tendinopathy in my left knee. First picked it up whilst cycling around 2 years ago - It seems to come and go periodically which suggests that it never fully healed in the first place. I still carry on as usual, though try to stick to non impact CV if it feels particularly vulnerable on any given week. I really should take a break from any lower body PT and allow it to heal properly, but tendons take a lonnng time to heal and I really can't be bothered taking such a long break.
  • TriforceRaven
    TriforceRaven Posts: 115 Member
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    My right knee has been buckling and tearing my entire life. I have a "floating kneecap" or whatever. I hurt it very badly during my first year of band camp, had to continue marching 8 hours a day, over 12/14 miles daily for a week, and ended up with a torn meniscus (sp?). Well, it eventually felt a bit better a few months later, so I went back to swim team and karate. Big mistake. On my second class of karate (coming back) we were sparring (my favorite!) and I jarred my knee even worse than before! So now the doctor has had me on crutches for a few weeks, but it's still been hurting. I had to quit swim team for the year, as I only have a few weeks left anyway. I was burning nearly 1000 calories a day! But now, I just have to suffice with eating even less than before and exercising in my room at night even more. 500 situps, 20 minute wall sits, 500 squats (really hurts my injured knee now!) and 100 push ups are just a few things I have to do now!
  • ranewell
    ranewell Posts: 621 Member
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    Car accident a year and a half ago, slammed into the glove compartment. It was horribly swollen (more than twice its size) and then opened up and oozed...so so nasty. Now, it is still swollen (I've lost 60 lbs, and I can see a kneecap on the other knee (yay!) BUT not the injured one. Still purple so ugly as hell. Worst of all, there is still quite a bit of nerve damage so any pressure placed on the knee feels like a zillion needles poking it at once. I just recently have been able to go up and down stairs normally because it was still so swollen it wouldn't bend much. I don't know that anything can be done to help the nerve damage, have been on lyrica, but not really helping much...It gets frustrating because I'm limited in what I can do still.
  • rschmmidt
    rschmmidt Posts: 296
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    Tore my left ACL in June. I was told it would heal OK if I didn't have ACL replacement surgery, since I am not an "athlete who requires "plant & pivot" maneuvering", they didn't encourage it. So I did not have the surgery. Honestly, it's been 6 months now and I still have pain/stiffness pretty much all the time. PT was OK but didn't really seem to help. I'm getting a little angry that I didn't get the surgery now when I had the chance. Anyway, I do yoga, biking, walking. Would love to add swimming exercises but just can't get myself to go to a public pool where people would see me (I'm not a swimmer, and just can't get past the huge embarrassment of having people see me in a swimsuit. I know, get over it already!)

    I'd love to hear from anyone who has a similar ACL situation - torn, but not repaired. How long did it take to return to normal (or something close to normal)? I'm running out of patience!

    Empathy and hugs to all other knee sufferers out there -
  • dragonbait0126
    dragonbait0126 Posts: 568 Member
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    I was born with a dislocated left knee cap. I've dislocated it to many times to count since then. I can't do lunges or squats or anything of that nature because of the pain those exercises cause. Actually my personal trainer had me attempt side squads one day. After 3 he made me stop and asked if I had Rice Krispies in my leg. He could hear it popping and grinding as I bent my knees. I'll eventually have to have surgery but I know that losing weight will help as well. My right knee is starting to get bad as well but it's no where near the state my left one is in.
  • squid116
    squid116 Posts: 16 Member
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    I partially tore my patella tendon playing rugby in April, Surgery in July.

    Rehab went well, I was on the bike within a week and got the all clear just before xmas. Full range squat, 320kg legpress, full range lunge with 20kg dumbbells, can run on treadmill for 60 mins.

    Should be right for when rugby starts this April :)
  • vicky31mom
    vicky31mom Posts: 6 Member
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    I have chondramalacia in my right knee. Went to PT, didn't help. My kneecap is for to the side. They gave offered a surgery but its more extensive than the lateral release. Told me 6 weeks on crutches, 3 months out if work, and a year before we know his much better it will be. Have no time for all that. Just got my jib and have 2 young kids. Have been seeing a chiropractor and doing exercise bike. Also wanna start swimming. Need exercises to help strengthen the quads mostly the inside quad but that won't hurt my knee.

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