A Little Lateral Dislocation of the Patella Anyone?

It has been just over a week since I dislocated my knee cap and basically tore it out of where it’s supposed to stay. This type of injury is medically referred to as a patella dislocation, and regardless of what it’s called it hurt like a sonuvabitch! I have never experienced pain like that, it was excruciating. When it happened I was playing Dodge Ball (yes I am 33 and I was playing Dodge Ball) and when I was dodging a ball I had turned my body to the right but my right leg decided to stay put. Needless to say my knee lost to my upper body’s movement and ended up turning all the way to the right. It literally felt like my knee did a 360, but what it really managed to do was come all the way around to the back of my leg and then I guess I instinctively turned back around thus putting it back to the front. Man, it hurts just thinking about it again. OUCH!!! (When I looked at my x-rays I can see the top of my right knee and my knee cap floating over to the left side. Fun stuff eh?)

Aside from never experiencing pain like that, I have never heard the human body make a sound like that either. It was a very loud crunching and popping. I thought I only heard the sound inside my body since I could feel it travel up my leg and into my head, but the people I was playing with said they heard the noise as well. I don’t think I’ve ever sworn as much in my life either. I’m pretty sure I exhausted a years supply of expletives from the moment it happened to the first few minutes while I was lying on the ground. The ambulance came fairly quickly and it was my first ambulance ride to the emergency room as well. (A lot of first emanated from this sordid event).

The emergency room visit was long and drawn out, par for the course here in Toronto, but at least the emerg doctor had a very friendly gurney side manner. She discharged me with Tylenol 3s, a leg splint, and the standard RICE method for recovery (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), and told me to book an appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon in three days.

Three days of lying/sleeping on the couch in my living room doing jacksqaut, taking painkillers, and cursing the gods whenever I had to reapply the splint after icing my knee (6 times a day no less) before I had a chance to visit the orthopedic surgeon. He confirmed the emerg docs diagnosis about the patella dislocation, and then nonchalantly told me about the fact that the dislocation indeed tore the knee cap off from where it normally dwells, and that there are minor fragments of bone floating around the knee area. He said he wasn’t too concerned about those as they are quite small, he would look again on my next visit, which he informed would be in three weeks time. As for treatment, he didn’t want to go the surgery route (thank god) and feels the best way for my knee to heal is to continue doing what I’m doing (RICE) and in three weeks time he’ll see how things are progressing. If all is well I will be downgraded from a leg splint to a knee brace that will allow for bending of the leg along with a device that will keep the knee cap in place so that it can continue to heal.

And so, that leaves me back where I was a week ago. Lying/sleeping on my couch, taking painkillers, and being mildly annoyed with the gods whenever I have to reapply the splint after icing my knee (6 times a day). The pain has gone done considerably since this first happened, but there is still swelling, and a constant pain/discomfort. It really hurts during the night when I sleep the most, I think this is because I tend to move and flex my leg a lot when I sleep. So when I wake up it hurts like a sonuvabitch.

The down side of all this is the fact that I am in constant pain/discomfort, I can’t really move around to much, the couch in my living room is now my permanent place of residence, and my wife has to take care of not only our 6 month old daughter but me as well now. That’s a lot for anyone to have to deal with. =(

The plus side is that I am getting to spend a lot more time at home with my wife and daughter, I’m reading more, and sharpening my web design skills as well. The first stop on my “web design skill sharpening journey” is giving this blog a redesign. Hopefully the changes are noticeable and appealing. I liked the first version, but as it is for any web site design, there is always room for redesign. I wasn’t going for anything drastic though, just some aesthetic changes that perk things up a bit. I’m happy with where I’ve taken things so far. I’m sure during my recovery I’ll come up with other things to add or change as well. Besides, there’s no sense just lying here bitching and moaning about my situation and not doing anything productive with my time. As they say, “when life hands you lemons, just make lemon aid”.

cheers,
Jonesy

This is part one of a three part series of posts regarding my knee dislocation and recovery. You can find Part Two HERE and Part Three HERE, and I have also written a post about tips on making sure you’ve found the right physiotherapist. That post can be found HERE

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July 1, 2007 by Jonesy in Health and Fitness | 72 Comments »

72 Responses to “A Little Lateral Dislocation of the Patella Anyone?”

Anonymous Says:

Hey there!

I live in Alberta, and I was suppose to be going to a concert sometime before the same thing happened to me, today, of all days.

Anyways, I’m 16, and I used to play sports, but I shifted to the “geeky” side of things.

Anyways, sitting here, in extreme pain, of course, I decided to just search up some information that happened to pop up (on Kneecap dislocation).

Anyways, just as a quick question…

Would you know anyway to deal with the pain?
I would like to stray away from painkillers (and I’d be damn proud of myself if I don’t take any at all during this whole ordeal).
I am a gamer, so that helps a little. Though, I have restless leg syndrome (self diagnosed) and I can’t fall asleep either. It pains me too much to try to.

Oh, and I guess I should say how it happened, huh?

Well, we drove up to a friend’s place, and my father had said it would be a good idea to open the windows in the back of the van. Well, alrighty then. I just stood up, and tried to go through the back, but my right leg slipped down, causing my left leg to twist, thus causing poor little kneecap to pop out and to the left. I do admit, I did feel an extreme amount of pain. I had a few outburst (No swearing! =P) of pain, and I let loose with a few cries and some tears. But for the most part, I just moved to the back seat, and sat there. Of course, my dad, not knowing what had happened, began telling me to stop acting like a wimp and open the windows.

I rolled up my pant legs to let him see, and I never saw anyones jaw drop faster.

Then we drove to the hospital, where we waited about an hour or so to see the doctor (our family doctor, no less).

Well, after 3 X-rays, they sent me home, with just some bandages, and I was told to wrap my knee (and surrounding area) with sterile cloth, and tensor bandages. Well, I’ve done that, and I don’t feel any different.

Anyways, hit me up at my email address for your advice, or just to talk. I’m also available on MSN messenger (though, I have a funny feeling that you might be confined to your couch for sometime. I really don’t have that problem. Well, I do, but my computer stays in my room.)

Thanks! And nice blog too!
July 9th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Jonesy Says:

Mr.Anonymous,

Sorry to hear about your situation. At least I can honestly say “I know how you feel.” Your response has prompted me to put together a “year in review” post regarding my knee and what has happened with me/it over the past year. I will work on that this evening. However, in response to your question about how to deal with the pain……I was a big wimp, and had to be on Tylenol 3’s. There were times when the pain was excruciatingly unbearable, moreso at the very outset and then again during the phase where you start to go to physiotherapy and actually have to start working with it to get better. Even now there are days when it hurts pretty good, but ibuprofen does the trick at that point.

However, if you are truly set on not wanting to take any painkillers then more power to you my friend. I commend you on your courage and efforts to support that courage. My advice would be to really be consistent with the icing of the knee for 15 minutes every hour or so. Also, you may want to look into some deep breathing exercises for when the pain gets too harsh.

Good luck. I will check in with you from time to time to see how you’re making out.

cheers,
Jonesy
July 9th, 2008 at 9:17 am
E Says:

YES Jonesey….I’m looking to hear what the end of the story is too.

I just had my patella dislocate, and so much of what you experienced there, sounds like what I’m going through now. I am set to see the doc next week and don’t even feel up to standing in the shower to get ready.;)

I hope your update is that you healed quickly and are doing great now.

~E:)
August 19th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
S. Says:

Hi there,
that’s kinda funny you dislocated your knee in july i dislocated mine on may 16 of 2008 and i’m just now gettin PT. My doc. didn’t want to do surgery but he did the MRI and i came back normal he said from the pain i’m in and the way i’m walking i’ve torn and ripped the lateral ligaments and tendons…
Thanks for your story i appreciate it, and i hope your knee heals up very soon…
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for your comment S., I wish you a speedy recovery and please feel free to stop by and leave a comment on how your progress is doing.

Take care,
Jonesy
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Rugger Says:

Hey all, I’ve seen dislocated knees so often in my 12 years of playing rugby that I was waiting for my turn. An it happened 2 days ago..but not playing. It just happened as I was bartending at our halloween party, no impact, slips or falls to cause it but my knee cap went right off the human charts of where it should be, followed by my leg buckling backwards. I popped it back in as soon as I was on the floor.
My comments are to those who are getting told not to go the surgery route. I’ve talked with so many trainers, doctors and guys with this injury and it’s always the same.
1) Xray right away…usually a negative, but could precaution
2) RICE treatment for at least 3 days then go back in for follow-up exam (usually with specialist)
3) MRI, will show the soft tissue damage
4) Surgeory depending on MRI result…if you had a complete dislocation of the patella and subsequent shift in movement of your fib/tib comared with femur you’ve almost certainly torn ligaments and require surgeory.

So when I read S. state the MRI came back normal and the doctor said you may have torn something…I’d question MRI reults big time as they should show this! Ligaments will not heal themselves completely without surgery.

Good Luck and keep updating.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for sharing your story, and I agree that we should always make sure we seek as solid a medical opinion as possible, and not just writing off something because we don’t like it. For myself, I am not a fan of surgery, but if in the end the consenting medical opinions are that I should have surgery, then that is what I would have to go with.

I really like how the comments are going strong here. I look forward to reading more and more.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Colleen Says:

hi everyone!! i know this response is so late…haha but i feel the need to say something..

i dislocated my kneecap two days ago (ow)
and i’m just not getting any answers….the doctors aren’t helping. i can’t wait until i get my mri to see where i can go from there.
also….did advil/motrin not help at all for anyone else also? i take so much and it does NOTHING.

also……could anyone not lift their leg at all??

forever in pain,
colleen =]
December 12th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Colleen,

Sorry to hear about your current situation. For me, I was given Tylenol 3’s for the pain, and there were even times when that wasn’t working the greatest, especially in the early stages when the pain was excruciating. You may need to go back to the doctor to get something for the pain if it is really too much for you to handle right now. You shouldn’t have to live in pain if you don’t have to. And I couldn’t lift my leg at all during the first few days either. I think it was a combination of the pain as well as the psychological fear that was holding me back from wanting to do anything with that leg. I wouldn’t have to lift it with my arms if I needed to move it. This eventually gets better though, just give it some time.

Good luck, and keep us posted if you can.

cheers,
Jonesy
December 13th, 2008 at 12:42 am
pamela Says:

well-santa must hate me!!! I just thought id share all of your pain, everyone!
I’m 7months pregnant(as if that’s not enough body-crisis) and dislocated my left knee on xmas day. After over an hour of a dislocated patella, the ER finally sedated me for 3minutes(with imense precautions to doing so while pregnant)and re-located the kneecap. Im glad they DID decide to knock me out because I guess it is not a pretty site when the move patella back. They even escorted my husband behind a curtain while doing so. Now Im on day 3 of couch life and crutches with a big pregnant belly. Painkillers were given and when the pain brings me to swallowing one, it is not done without extreme guilt/fear for my unborn child. The doc’s say safe in moderation, but they CAN’T guarantee anything. Now Im left waiting till monday to get into an ortho, go forward on healing, and get to my OB with the list of nasty drugs pumped into my IV. Thought I’d share my recent “hell”. Im still searching for similar experiences(during pregnancy) and hoping for a positive outcome. thanks for the read.
December 28th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Jonesy Says:

Wow, Pamela, you definitely got a doozie of a Christmas Gift. My heart goes out to you, and I thank you for having the courage to share your story and be so open and honest with the struggles that you are going through with the pain killer situation. I wish you all the best on Monday with your OB and that your road to recovery is a good one. Keep us updated if you can.

cheers,
Jonesy
December 28th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
andrea Says:

What a way to start the New Year. I was walking, that’s it walking at work to another department, didn’t trip, slip or stumble and my knee just kinda blew out. Down I go on the other knee. The sound was awesome. It went back in the right place, so I at least didn’t have to go through the re-adjustment procedure. But the pain! Being the tough old broad I claim to be, worked out the rest of my shift 7 more hours, in RETAIL on my FEET. Probably did myself more damage than good….we’ll see….
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
Jonesy Says:

Andrea, Happy New Year indeed. =) I guess you started the new year off with a “pop” instead of a “bang”! (sorry, i couldn’t resist). For me, while I was lying on the ground writhing in pain, I can honestly say that the last thing that was going through my mind was “I need to get back in the game and keep playing”. =) You are definitely a touch cookie indeed, but hopefully, as you mentioned, you haven’t done more damage. All the best to you and your recovery, and if you can please stop by and keep us updated.
Take care,
Jonesy
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Kari Says:

Hi Everybody,

Well, my knee caps (yes plural) have both been popping out for 10 years now. I am 23 and was a competitive gymnast my whole life. Well, I quit 6 years ago and they are still dislocating! I have had 4 corrective knee surgeries (3 on my left and 1 on my right) and nothing seems to help. I mean my patellas would pop out 2-3 times a month! I thought once i quit they would get better but they have only gotten worse with age! My orthepedic doctor has been seeing me since the beginning (5th dr. and only one that was helpful) and she recently told me that in all of her 25 years of being a surgeon she has never seen such bad knee caps! she calls me jello knees because they can literally move all over!

The first 2 surgeries were arthroscopic and they were back to popping out 2 months later. The 3rd was a tad more invasive because by this point I just wanted to function and not worry about randomly falling and having to shove my knee back in socket! I had my tibia sawed and moved medially inward to correct the whole alignment of my leg. Although my left knee now only pops out 2-3 times a year (vast improvement) the surgery was not worth it. I broke a screw and it was poping out of my leg 3 years later…(cute right?) and it was the worst recovery of my life!

Moral of the story, everyone’s body is different but the main cause of lateral dislocation is either your medial quads are not strong enough or your genetically born with no femoral grove and knock knees like me!

I have tried everything in the world to keep my knees in socket! a million different braces, taping jobs, therapy, surgeries and nothing has helped. I have finally given up hope and just deal with it! I am honestly so used to it that i pop them right back in and go on with my day. granted it feels like i am walking on a loose noodle and the pain is pretty bad but your body gets used to it and actually it doesnt even hurt that bad anymore! It’s just a pain in the ass because it keeps me from working out for a few days.

but, good luck to you all! i just wanted to share my story with you guys so you know that it could be worse! I’m a freak of nature so you guys take care of your knees! RICE, ibuprofen and medial quad exercises!!!!
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Jonesy Says:

Kari,

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I don’t know how you do it, but as you said, I guess it all comes down to just getting on with your life and dealing with things as best you can. I couldn’t believe it when you said that your body has adapted to the pain and it really doesn’t hurt that much anymore. =) Wow, the human body never ceases to amaze me, but I can see what you are saying. I guess the body just also starts to accept it’s current stay and say, oh well, if this pain is going to be constant then I will up this chemical and that chemical so that my body can keep functioning in the world (to a degree I guess). Crazy stuff.

You definitely have given me some great perspective though Kari, and I really appreciate that. So, from now on, when I am bending and I can feel and hear the grinding in my bad knee, I will just picture your situation with your knees popping out 2 or 3 times a month/year (yikes!), and you just popping them back in and getting on with the rest of your day. Classic.

Thanks again Kari and hopefully your comment provides others with inspiration and perspective as well.

Take care,
Jonesy
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Lisa Holloway Says:

Wow, this seems to be a common problem! I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone. I inherited crappy (for lack of a better word) knees from my father’s side of the family. Thankfully, there were no major problems until this past summer, when I walked right into the trailer hitch on our Yukon and whacked my leg HARD and at the wrong angle, and wouldn’t you know it, my left knee popped right out of joint. It popped back in about 3 seconds later, but let me tell you, the pain was hideous! I’ve suffered through natural childbirth and kidney stones and this ranks right up there. I had the knee x-rayed and thankfully, was told that there was no ligament damage and to just take it easy and it would heal up on it’s own. It did seem to get better, and with time I kind of forgot about it. Fast forward to yesterday. I’m not 6 months pregnant. I was walking through my living room and I felt something ’slip’…like it almost dislocated but didn’t. I kind of brushed it off, thinking it was weird, but didn’t give it much more thought than that. Today, I was sitting down and went to stand up, and you guessed it, out it popped. No trauma…I was just standing up. It popped back in after a few seconds like it did the first time this happened, but now, I’m limping around in pain, and 6 months pregnant. I truly hope this isn’t turning into a chronic problem. =(
April 10th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for sharing Lisa. It definitely sounds like you have an interesting predicament developing with your knee. IMHO it sounds like the initial dislocation/relocation has weakened the area around the knee and now it is prone to random repeats of the same; which can’t be fun for you at all. =( It would probably be a good idea to get your doctor to take a look at it as you may need some physio to strengthen the area back up. The last thing you want is to end up hurting yourself and your baby. And speaking of your baby….CONGRATULATIONS!!

Take care and all the best for a safe delivery,
Jonesy
April 10th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Amanda Says:

Thought I’d share my story……. I was having a shower with my two year old daughter yesterday, which I do when I don’t want to spend half and hour letting her play in the bath tub!! We were just finishing when she slips off the seat we have in our shower, I must have turned the wrong way and all I felt was a horrible pain….The next thing I remember was looking at my knee thinking my bone is sticking out the wrong way then we both hit the shower floor. Here I lay screaming in pain with my two year old sandwiched up against the glass shower door crying…. Thank god my sister was still home, I yelled for her and she came flying up the stairs yelling “what happened” She comes in the bathroom and here I lay buck a$$ naked on the shower floor! I was hyperventilating(sp?) eyes rolling back in my head and turning pale white. At this time I didn’t think it was really funny!! She called 911 and mananged to get a night shirt over me and get my daughter out of the shower and out of the way. When the paramedics showed up they pumped me full of laughing gas(great stuff!!)

One of the paramedics climber in the shower with me and hoisted me up on the seat in the shower and told me to fill myself up on the gas cause this is going to hurt……he got me out of the shower on to a chair cot, belted me in and both of them carried me down 18 stairs. They carried me out to the back yard and had to tranfer me to the stretcher, again loaded me up on the gas……good thing too cause I was crying in pain!!

When we got to the hospital Io had to wait 3 hours to see a doctor……when he came in he looked at my knee for about a minute and said lets send you for x-rays. Got the x-rays done and waited another hour to see him again only to tell me that there are no broken bones. He wrapped my knee up with a clothe like material on the back of my leg and 3 tensor bandages all the way down to my ankle. He said to me that if its not feeling better in a week to go and see my family doctor and maybe get it ultrasounded. I asked if he was going to give me pain killers and he asked me If I thought I needed them????? Is he crazy?? He didn’t even tell me to ice it!! The nurse came in 20 minutes later to give me crutches and sent me on my way.

Here I sit on the couch with my heating pad on my back( Its sore from a car accident in August 2007)Really sore now that I fell. I had a horrible sleep last night, everytime I moved I cryed out in pain!! Yikes…… I hope tha pain gets better.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Jonesy Says:

OMFG! That is a crazy story. Thank you for sharing.

Hopefully you weren’t being carted around by the paramedics, as well as going through your hospital ordeal in just a night shirt! Since you are only on day two, the pain won’t let up just yet. As you’ve already noticed, night time is going to be a horrible experience. I can’t remember how many times I would move my leg while I was sleeping on the couch, only to wake up with the most agonizing pain ever. The good thing is that the pain will subside after awhile, you just have to stay strong and focused until it does; hopefully you have someone that can help you out with your daughter. I have a two year old myself and I can’t imagine trying to look after her in your current state.

I would definitely do the follow up with your family doctor and get the ultrasound, you never know what type of deep tissue/tendon/ligament damage you may have caused.

Thanks again for your story, and if you can check back in from time to time and let me know how you are doing.

Cheers,
Jonesy
April 15th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Amanda Says:

I was in a night shirt the whole time but my loving sister was able to at least get some underwear on me before the paramedics took me down the stairs, they recommended that i didn’t put pants on.

My hubby has been a great help along with my sister, I also have a 6 year old son as well and he has been a really big help getting me my crutches and carrying things for me!!

I am going to try and get in with the family doctors on friday…. I want this to heal up properly. I have a horse so I want to be able to ride her again!!

I will keep you updated!!!
April 15th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Jonesy Says:

It is good to know that you were able to maintain a modicum of decency during your whole ordeal. It is also great to hear that you have a lot of support and helping hands for your recovery.

I look forward to hearing about your progress.

All the best,
Jonesy
April 15th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Amanda Says:

The doctor has reffered me to see and orthopedic surgeon!Hopefully this doesn’t mean surgery!
April 18th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Jonesy Says:

No, I wouldn’t worry about that until you meet with the OS. That is who saw after I was sent home from the hospital. The OS is the best and most qualified person to assess your situation. My OS felt that it wasn’t necessary for me to have surgery, and I was happy with that. =)
April 19th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Amanda Says:

I am going back to the doctors today. I spoke with the referal desk at my doctors office yesterday and she said that it could take up to 2 years to get in to see a surgeon!! Really?? I am going to talk to my doctor to see what he has to say about that. I can’t just put my life on hold while I wait……. I am going to ask him about going for an MRI and see what he says.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Jonesy Says:

Wow, two years, well hopefully something can be done for you at this point in time becase I agree, there is no way you should have to put your life on hold until then. If your doctor can get you set up with an MRI that would be great, this way you can see just how serious things are right now; and also if surgery is even necessary.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Jonesy
May 4th, 2009 at 5:51 am
damnknees Says:

Hi! hey guys i dislocated my knee bout 4 days ago it went to the right on my right leg bout 5 inches anyways the doctor didn’t she said u can just limp and she told me to go home and just rest she didnt tell me anything bout ricing or stuff like u guys r doing she told me it pulled to the right cuz my right thigh muscle is stronger than my left thigh muscle and she didn’t mention anything bout ligaments tearing she also mentioned since im like 6′5 260 pounds i should lose some weight to take of the pressure… missed school for a week now kinda sad this is like the worst month of my life but yeh neways thanks for the helpful information guys ill try the ricing technique to reduce the swelling…
May 20th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Dave Says:

Hey I thought I would chime in, I have had patella dislocations since I was 5. I have elders danlos syndrome and had frequent dislocations growing up. I have never had surgury as the doctors feel that with my flexible joints that chopping them up and shortening them will make it worse if I have a dislocation after surgury. I had my first left knee dislocation in 10 years 2 weeks ago sitting in my car of all places not driving ( thank god) and leaned over to pick something up and pop not a bad one but this past friday I had a FULL dislocation of my right knee cap first one in 15 years….. I have always popped my knee cap back into place the doctors tell me it takes 550 foot pounds of torque to do that and I say well when its out i want it back in LOL… and I am just a little guy. So my remedy for less knee problems is wearing orthotics in my shoes I get mine custom made and it helps me keep my whole leg inline where its suppose to, by the way friday I didnt wear my orthtics and look at what happened. my only thing with my dislocation friday is sometimes when it goes out and I fall I twist my calf bone so I get my knee cap in place and my calf bone and thigh bone are not in line so monday I am going to my chiropractor and he will snap everything back to where it should be. I am one of the lucky ones when it comes to dislocations as after I pop it back in I can get up and walk away and within a couple days everything is back to normal little pain and minimal swelling. my biggest problem as I have gotten older is I dislocate my ankle now and that happens often that hurts like a mo..$# too. its a week to my 37th birthday maybe this is all a sign im getting old…LOL..

Dave;)
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Jonesy Says:

Sorry to hear about your dislocation. If you have some concerns with the info your doctor gave you, you may want to find another doctor for a second opinion. The icing will definitely control the swelling, as well as staying off the leg for a bit. Things will get better, you just have to stay both mentally and physically strong (they work together). =) Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Jonesy Says:

Dave, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I must say, you are a tough sonofagun! I couldn’t imagine going through what you have gone through (intermittent, spontaneous dislocations!), wow. =) Age is just a state of mind my friend, although I wouldn’t advice jumping off any house roofs or leaping from a moving swing. =) I hope that it is longer than 10 -15 years before you have anymore crazy locations like you did this past month. All the best for your birthday my friend. Take care.

Jonesy
May 24th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Amanda Fraser Says:

Hi everyone I was just doing some research on patella dislocations and found this page. Its interesting to hear about everyone’s stories.

I dislocated my right patella playing netball 2 days ago. Worst pain i have ever had and I’ve had 2 kids one with emergency c-section. Lucky me was stuck on the netball court in the twisted postion I fell on for an hour before the ambulance crew got me into the ambulance (an yes the knee was still sticking out to the side lol). Luckly they were really great and wanted to make sure I was dosed up on enough morphine to make the move to the stretcher managable. The doctor I saw at the hospital popped it back in, took xrays which apparently were clear and discharged me all within an hour of arriving. He told me I should be able walk on it straight away and not to play netball for 7 days ha ha ha I couldn’t believe he was telling me this. I got my husband to get me some crutches that night and have been using them for the past 48 hours. This afternoon I have been managing to hobble around without the crutches and not much pain so I am wondering if I have been lucky enough not to sustain too much ligament and muscle damage. OS is away so I am booked into see the local GP in 4 days. Interested in finding out how long recovery will be after the original emergency doc told me 7 days.

I have a 4 year old and 1 year old so I am eager to get back on my feet enough to look after them.
May 25th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Dave Says:

heres an update for you. I went to my chiropractor on monday and my calf bone was back and twisted in,so my legline was all out of whack. 2 minutes snap snap and I walked outta there with very little discomfort. the swelling is almost gone its just a little tender to touch.So thats the end of my story till next time.lol…hope it lasts for at least another 10 years cuz this SUCKS.. I went to the hospital and got them to shoot my leg up with dye and x rayed it to make sure my ligaments and stuff are all good and typical the doc was in shock. he said you had a grade 4 level knee dislocation and thats what it looks like now…wow.. now I have started working out my liver for my yearly bender coming up this weekend lol…maybe next year two weeks before my b day it will go a little easier. thanks ttyl;)
May 27th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for the update Dave. Once again, you are a tough sonufagun! Walking around with a “grade 4 level knee dislocation” like it’s nobodies business. =) Try and take it easy during your yearly weekend bender. Although I am sure if you do fall down and break or dislocate anything you’ll just keep on partying. Enjoy.

Jonesy
May 31st, 2009 at 9:00 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Amanda, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. You had to wait a whole hour until the ambulance arrived?! Wow. That must have sucked. =( It will be interesting to see what your OS or GP says, as it does seem like your recovery is picking up a lot faster than mine. There was no way I was able to get up and hobble around without the crutches after a couple of days. So maybe your emerg doctor isn’t too far off in his diagnosis. If you can drop us an update.

Thanks,
Jonesy
May 31st, 2009 at 9:06 am
Amanda Fraser Says:

Hi guys just thought I’d give you an update on my progress….

So it has now been 10 days since my knee dislocation and i have been walking without crutches for about 3 days. So far looks like my recovery is going really well. I have been seeing a Sports Physio since day 4 after the injury and she has been helping to reduce the swelling and has started me on some strengthening exercises. Couldn’t believe how much bruising came out. Knee was black down the shin and even had blood pooling in my heel.

I have gone from not being able to lift the leg 3 days ago (the quads had forgotten what to do) to now being able to fully straighten the leg and lift (thanks goodness my quads remembered how to work lol) My physio has estimated that I should be able to return to netball in about 3 weeks so I am looking forward to seeing how I continue to progress.

Funny story though regarding one of the ambulance officers…….the female officer called Alicia actually took photos of my knee (still dislocated) on her mobile phone so I could see what it looked like. I was wondering how she would do this as I obviously wouldn’t see her again after I left hospital. Anyway the next morning I logged onto my facebook account and she had sent me a friend request with the photos tagging me in them. My friends and family got a kick out of seeing the knee dislocated lol. She was pretty cool and extrememly nice ;0).

Jonesy after reading through your experience again I have to say I think I am very lucky considering. Your injury sounded so much worse. I was lucky that the x-ray showed up clear with no fractures.

This experience has definately been interesting especially having to run around after my 2 little ones (makes it hard to get much rest and i have to keep reminding myself to do the strengthening exercises).

Bye for now,

Amanda (Australia)
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:18 am
Jonesy Says:

Amanda, thank you so much for the update. I am glad to see that your recovery is coming along so well, and so quickly too! I can’t believe your physio person is saying you should be able to return to netball in three weeks. Wow, that is great.

Although my injury was pretty intense I still count myself fairly lucky. My bigger fear was needing surgery. Things are getting progressively better for me at this point. I have been using my eliptical machine for the past two weeks for 45 minutes every other day at a 8 resistance setting; no problems. Thank god! That being said I played 18holes of gold the other day and I definitely felt it the next day. Baby steps. =)

Great story about your photo. Classic. Keep up the good work amanda, the strengthening exercises are key.

Jonesy
June 5th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
damnknees Says:

ive been hopping around on the leg since day 2 of the dislocation is that a bad thing i mean it doesnt hurt or anything just sometimes feels like my leg wants to bend and also it gets numb after i sit on the computer a long time i bought this game world of warcraft and i played it for like 5 hours straight the first day when i got up my knee felt like bending so bad i hate keeping it in this immobilizer been in it for 3 weeks
June 10th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Slaven,

Please remember that this is only my advice and not that of a qualified Orthopedic Surgeon or doctor, I can only comment from my own experiences. As much as you may hate the immobilizer it is serving a purpose; to keep your leg from dislocating again. Since it is so early in your recovery you are going to be prone to having it dislocate again, especially if you aren’t careful and taking precautions (such as using the immobilizer). Follow the directions from your doctor and stop using it when he/she says so. And for the sitting at the computer for 5 hours straight, you may won’t to stop that as well. Even for me now, and it has been almost two years since my dislocation (wow,I can’t believe it has been that long) if I sit at my desk for too long then my knee will start to feel tight and uncomfortable. You will have to train yourself to get up and walk around every half hour or so.

If you don’t mind me asking, how did your dislocation happen? (curious)

Cheers,
Jonesy
June 12th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Amanda Fraser Says:

Hi Jonesy,

wow can’t believe that your knee is still getting stiff after 2 years thats a bit scary. I think I was jumping a bit too far ahead in my last post. Now has been 3 and half weeks and there hasn’t been much progress since I last posted. Leg is really stiff still and any physio work makes it sore for the next few days. starting to think i won’t be getting back into my netball before the end of our season the way i’m going. also you guys are talking a lot about wearing braces on your knees after the injury. maybe because i’m in australia its different but the docs didn’t really seem too concerned about keeping my leg immobilised in fact they are wanting me to move it as much as possible. very frustrating only being able to bend it to 90 degrees max after a touch session with the physio. i’ve actually booked in now to see our local knee specialist to get his opinion because my knee is not responding how my physio said it would the week after the injury happened. according to her i should have been back to playing again last sat but can’t even walk prop yet. can’t get into the specialist until beginning of july though so still have to wait another 3 weeks. Keen to hear what everyone elses recoveries have been like ;0)
June 16th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Amanda,

Sorry to hear that your progress hasn’t gone exactly as planned, or outlined by your doctor. Things will get better, you just have to stick with the physio and have faith in the process; it is slow, painful and annoying, but there will come a point when the improvement really starts to pick up the pace….you just have to get over that initial hump. Regarding the knee brace, as soon as I made it to my phsyiotherapist he let me know that I wouldn’t be using it for too long. It was definitely essential when I was moving around the house and what not as it ensured that I wasn’t going to put my leg or knee in some awkward position that might do me some damage. =) As I have said before though, your doctors have way more insight into your particular situation, so I would follow their lead and your physiotherapists as well.

Looking forward to hearing about your progress.

Jonesy
June 21st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Deanna Says:

Hi ! Just wanted to let you know that almost the exact same thing happened to me ! Canceling out the dodgeball part though ! I had an upper patella dislocation on my right knee on february;friday the 13th ! Well the story is pretty long though. Anyway i had apparently torn a muscle into 3 pieces at the same time ! To go along with that i had micro-fractures over my entire knee cap. Well i definetly had to have a surgery done. Its been about half a year and i am glad to say that i have just learnt how to walk
July 1st, 2009 at 5:59 am
Jonesy Says:

Wow, thanks for sharing Deanna. Friday the 13th? Freaky! =) It is good to know that you have been able to recoup and start walking again, I can only imagine what the pain of tearing your muscle in three places at the same time must feel like. Yikes! If you have the time to type it all out I would love to hear the full story; my morbid curiosity is dying to know. =)

Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Keep us posted.

Jonesy
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Lisa B. Says:

Sorry to hear about the dislocation. I dislocated mine on April 3, had the xrays, and then the MRI (did you get an MRI?)wore the immobilizer for 5 weeks, then a smaller, but tight as hell brace for another month. I have been in rehab for almost 8 weeks. You cannot recover from this injury without good rehab! Believe it or not, the swelling in my knee is still significant, but the range of motion is coming back. I’m at 95 degrees, with 120 considered acceptable.

A few things I’ve learned:
The night time pain is universal among dislocation patients. A very thin pillow wedged between your thighs helps a little to keep the knees from pressing together if you’re a side sleeper. I sleep with a small cooler with icepacks at my bedside, though I dno’t need them as much lately. My Orthopedist got me off of Tylenol and put me on Ibuprofen because he felt that Tylenol was not as good at controlling the swelling. You should ask your Orthopedist about the meds. Do not baby the knee. It is important, once you’re out of the splint and into the brace to sit in a chair with your foot on the floor/knee bent and then get up and walk around rather than keeping your knee immobile in bed. Get a stationary bike (every tag sale/boot sale this time of year has one, I just bought one for $10). Once you are able to consistently get your knee all the way around on the bike in rehab (by the way, you think you’re going to pass out when you manage to do it for the first time) ask your therapist when you can start biking at home. It really helps, as does water exercise. If you have access to a pool, ask you therapist for some simple water exercises. I do 30 minutes of bike each day along with the usual quad sets, hamstring/calf stretches, and squats and I have another month left of twice weekly rehab to go.

All in all I’m glad I didn’t ask my Ortho, who is first rate (he’s the knee man for the NY Rangers), how long this process was going to take. I might have really gotten discouraged. You’ll notice trenendous progress after the first month of rehab -keep it up.

Finally, if your spouse has been as great and helpful as mine has been; thank your luck stars and do something nice for her when this is all over. My husband has been working full time, handling all of the dog walking duties, and been my home health care aid and chef. Couldn’t have done it without him.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Jonesy Says:

Lisa,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You’ve given some really great advice and insight, if you could please check in from time to time with some updates that would be most appreciated. =)

Oh, and you are so right about the pain felt when you make your first complete rotation on the bike. Dear sweet Jesus! When I did that I yelped in pain right in front of the physiotherapist and a bunch of other patients. It was extremely embarrassing but there wasn’t anything I could do. I wasn’t even planning on making the complete rotation but as my knee reached the top of the rotation gravity kicked and and brought her all the way down and around before I had a chance to do anything to stop it. Damn gravity! =)

Thanks again Lisa,
Jonesy
July 16th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Lisa B. Says:

Jonsey:

The first time around on that bike is something, isn’t it? Almost everybody goes around by accident the first time. I screamed out loud, horrifying the other patients, but the therapists all applauded. Now I have no problem on the bike and I have lowered the seat considerably.

Saw my Ortho on Tuesday. He is generally pleased with range of motion, swelling has gone down, I am about where he expected me to be. He wiggled my leg violently from my foot to see if there was pain with lateral movement. There was none. He asked me to show him exactly where I was experiencing night pain. Then he palpated my knee and squeezed a spot that hurt so badly it almost made me shoot out of my skin! He thought I might not have felt pain in that spot in the past because of the earlier swelling. He told me that he had been certain that he would see miniscus damage or a microfracture on my MRI, but that they didn’t find any. (Could be a result of the angle of the MRI) Now the plan is to finish physiotherapy, keep riding the bike, and if the pain is still there in October, we’ll consider “Synvisc” injections or a possible arthroscopy to have a “look around.” Not exactly the news I was hoping for.

My main compplaint at this point is stiffness during the day or after sitting for long periods (especially in the car)and range of motion needs to improve. I did make big progress on the dreaded “leg press” machine at physio -hate that thing! I still walk a little flat footed, am working on bending the ankle more as I walk. I am able to walk home from physio (seven blocks). I sometimes get swelling at the ankle and knee afterwards, but not much. I no longer have to ice in the middle of the night, just 30 minutes before I go to bed in the evening. Now if only I could keep the dog from sleeping at my feet….

Hope you’re coming along.
~Lisa
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Lisa,
glad to hear your physio is moving along so nicely. Hopefully your progress continues and the whole scoping and probing option becomes a non issue. The stiffness will stay with you though for quite some time. It has been over well over two years for me and the knee still can get quite stiff if I sit for too long. You get used to it.

Stay strong and stay focused,
Jonesy
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Lisa B. Says:

Are you ready for this Jonsey? Was rushed to the hospital last week, couldn’t breathe. Massive pulmonary embolism, thought to be from the knee dislocation! Nobody ever told me to watch out for those symptoms. Dr. says I wouldn’t have lived through the day if I hadn’t gone straight to my very bright doctor who immediately suspected embolism. 4 days in Intensive Care Unit. Came home yesterday. Recovery time 6-9 months. On blood thinning meds. Apparently the immobilization process can lead to clots and all need to be aware that even months later, this can happen.

~Lisa
August 10th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Tiffany Says:

Ugh! Hey! So i dislocated my knee about 9 days ago. I was out on a boat and my friend fell and pulled me down with her! My knee didn’t like that and went to the right. A friend of mine told me to try to straighten it so i did and it popped back into place. I went to the er that night, they took xrays and gave me the knee immoblizer. I work at starbucks so i had to take a week off. I had a follow-up appointment about 5 days later and the doctor told me that from the x-rays it didn’t look like anything tore and i wouldn’t need surgery. which is good! I just went back to work on Monday with the immoblizer. They aren’t making me do to much but after standing on it for a bit it starts to hurt. Doc said it will probably start getting better in 3-4 weeks. Here’s the thing… I run everyday! I ran a full marathon 3 years ago. I have never really had problems with my knee. Sometimes they get sore if i need new shoes but that’s it! I also have a 10 month old daughter who is all over the place! Honestly, I have been soooo depressed that i haven’t been able to work out. Is there anything that i can do to speed up this process? I will do anything!!!
August 11th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Jonesy Says:

Lisa, DEAR GOD!, I am so sorry for what happened! That must have been horrible to have gone through. Thank God you are all alright, and thank you for sharing that as well. It is definitely something I wouldn’t have thought to have happened. But now we all know and for anyone still enduring the immobilization stage can take extra precautions. Did your doctor mention how to ensure it doesn’t happen (outside of taking blood thinners)?

Once again Lisa, I am so happy that you were able to pullthrough. Stay strong my friend and please please keep us updated. =]

jonesy
August 12th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Tiffany,

thank you for sharing. Boats are quite the destroyers of knees, I think you are the second boat related accident. =].

In response to your question about expediting your recovery, I would say get setup with a physiotherapist as soon as you can. It will make a world of difference. Just don’t rush things too quickly or you could end up hurting yourself again; which would set your recovery back even further.

See what your physiotherapist says, as well as your doctor, follow their instructions and take it easy. Before you know it you will be well on your way.

Thanks,
Jonesy
August 12th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Lisa B. Says:

Jonsey;

My doctor says the clot, based on ultraound/doppler tests, began behind my knee. Apparently, the lower in the leg the clot, the less serious/smaller it is and the more likely it is to either be absorbed by the veins or become a DTV (deep vein thrombosis) instead of a Pulmonary Embolism. Above the calf is considered dangerous. Normally the act of getting up to pee throughout the day during immobilization is enough to prevent a clot. I must have had the perfect storm of injury location and severity. The scary thing is that it was 4 months after the injury when the clot broke free and traveled to my lungs. Please encourage everyone on this blog to discuss DVT and PE with their orthopedist. Leg cramps and shortness of breath might not seem serious, but they can be signs of something deadly. I would even encourage folks who have a dislocation to carry a card in their wallet stating that fact. If I had lost consciousness and an ambulance had been called, it might have taken longer to get to the root of the problem without my being able to provide a history.

Good news is I have the best looking male Visiting Nurse on the planet! He comes by daily to check my vitals. I will resume physiotherapy at home next week, but hope to return to regular PT in a month or so. Blood thinning therapy should last 6-9 months and must be monitored weekly. What a kick in the pants, huh?
August 13th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Jonesy Says:

That is a serious kick in the pants Lisa. Wow, and as you said, you had the “perfect storm of injury, location and severity”. When you are out of the hospital you should go and buy a lottery ticket. =) I agree about the importance of people learning from your situation, so what i will do is make a post about DVT and PE and paste in your points.

It is amazing to see that you are able to keep a positive perspective and outlook on your situation. So much of recovery from stuff like this is dependent and strengthened by a positive mental and emotional attitude. Good stuff Lisa. Stay strong.

Jonesy
August 15th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
dave Says:

hey mark thought I would chime in again SO…..I had another dislocation of my right knee AGAIN…GRRRRR happened last weekend I was napping with the wife and the dogs just chillin and I woke up to a full dislocation, not fun its like HELLO…I was screaming and saying lotsa not nice things and I walmost fell out of bed, I let go of my knee and pushed myself into a sitting position and that made it go out more which really hurt.. my wife woke up freaking out and jumped outta bad which shook the bed not good either….I got it back into place and relaxed for a bit I hobbled around on crutches for a few days as with my last surprise disloction in feb/mar with my right knee after over 10 years of good luck it took a long time before it was back to normal. I went to my chiropractor and my femur was twisted inwards and my tibula was way out and my kneecap was sitting higher then where it should be so snap crackle pop its all back to where it needs to be. a couple more days on crutches and I am ready to face the world again..

I dont know why I havent had any problems with my knees in over 10 years and in the last 6 months I have had 3 now two with the right and one with the left….GETTING OLD SUCKS….LOL…I think it is time I booked an mri on my right knee as it has me concerned everytime I worry that I wont be able to walk again but im doing just fine
ttyl Dave
September 20th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Jonesy Says:

Dave,

What can I say. Your situation is not an enviable one. The fact that you can freely share your story with humour and acceptance is amazing, you are a very strong person. =)

I would say the MRI would more than likely be a good thing. Any type of reassurance that everything is not as bad as it seems is a good thing. I wish you all the best and hopefully no more “snap, crackle and pop” for your knees from this point forward.

Stay strong my friend.

Jonesy
September 25th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Lisa Says:

Jonsey;
Haven’t chimed in for some time. I am back in rehab once a week and doing much better. I need to gain an extra 10-15 degrees of bend in the knee before i will be back to almost normal. I can walk 20-30 blocks, and can drive again, though I still have to ice down the resulting swelling. I can ride a stationary bike with ease, even with the seat in a lwered position, and the pain is almost gone. I can get in and out of the bathtub on my own too. Of course I still experience discomfort sleeping on my side (knee to knee contact). The only thing I cannot do is walk down the stairs one foot at a time. I hear that is the last thing to come back after an injury like mine.

Because of the embolism I am still on blood thinners and cannot fly. Hope that I will be able to return to flying again in the spring (although it will be with heavy compression stockings).

I’m curious how many people have experienced re-dislocation. Does it seem to be common? Just the thought of it freaks me out. Though I hope the strengthening of the quad muscle that you accomplish in rehab might help to prevent another dislocation.

I am of the opinion that, insurance permitting, only an MRI can fully reveal the nature and extent of the damage done by a dislocation. Only an MRI will reveal microfractures, ligmant and tendon damage, etc. I encourage anyone who has had a dislocation to insist on an MRI.

I am so glad you began this forum. It has been tremendously helpful. Thanks for incorporating some info on pulmonary embolism. I wish I had been better informed/prepared on the subject.

Regards to you and all the others,
~Lisa
October 8th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the update, that is awesome that you are recovering so well. As far as re-dislocation goes (knock on wood) I haven’t had that happen to me; and hopefully it doesn’t. That doesn’t mean that I am running around like a madman doing things that could put me in a position to re-dislocate it; I am just cautious and smart about what I will put my leg through. You should definitely ensure that you build up that quadricep muscle, as well as all the other muscles that interact with your knee.

Keep doing what you’re doing Lisa, and thanks again for the update.

Jonesy
October 12th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Anon Says:

Well some of the stories in these comments make me feel lucky!

I’ve dislocated my knee 4 times (can’t remember which ones though lol, I think I’ve done one knee more than the other and one knee is a lot stronger than the other, but this stronger knee is relatively weak to a normal knee for someone of my age/build). I’m juding knee strength on how easily it can wobble when you “play” with it (this really hits my confidence).

I did all of my dislocations playing football (as in English football, not American football – I am from the UK). I was a teenager but I really do kick myself for being so naive not to realise the risk (it’s a bit obvious when it’s all happening due to football), until the doctors told me to consider giving it up. That much pain makes sacrifice easy. Sometimes I have my periods of mood swings and then start googling knee dislocation because it sucks that anything which involves running (Can’t do this) and making quick twists is out of the question (pretty much any fun sport, like football).

I do consider myself lucky to not feel any knee pain and especially the weather doesn’t influence this at all. Only when I sometimes negotiate the stairs in a slightly dodgy way I might “tweak” my knee. I’ve only been to the specialist to check up on my knee and physio for the VMO exercises (which I didn’t see through and never will now as I am working, no longer at school/college/uni). Have a shallow groove like most people on here and was going to have a lateral release but on the day before the oppurtunity they decided not to as I was too young!! They knew my age a long time ago before this day.

I wear a knee strap on both of my knees (used to be on one knee but now on both as I subluxed one when on holiday, though this knee is know strictly in a knee support – just like a sock, I need a proper knee strap). There is no way I am going to leave myself exposed to such a ridiculous amount of pain.

One thing I really want to know is a scientific/medical explanation for the ridiculous amount of pain involved in a knee dislocation. My kneecap went to the left but I have read stories of it going 360 degrees to behind the fibia/temur!! This must hurt even more, and I was on 02 and made people’s ears ring so I can’t imagine anything else. My dislocation could have been a lot more serious and thus painful (no implication for the nerve thank God).

I hate going on holiday now as I don’t want to wear shorts in a hot country and then show my knee straps/physical weaknesses and I can’t always wear jeans/joggers in a hot country.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for your reply. Knowing that you can no longer do the things you love without further risk of dislocation, and the inevitable pain it brings, must suck. I have been lucky in that since my dislocation I have not re-dislocated; that being said, I haven’t put myself in a physically strenuous situation that could yield the potential to dislocate it, and I don’t think I will be putting myself in that situation for awhile. =)

I think your solution to the embarassment of the knee straps is the story you create behind how it happened. Make it some ridiculous story like you destroyed your knee when you were saving a small child from a burning building! That way people think, “wow, I wish I could dislocate my knee too!!” hehehee.

cheers,
Jonesy
November 20th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Ben Says:

I have dislocated my knee 13 times!!!no jokes. 2 surgeries and it is still screwed up as ever. i have post traumatic stress disorder from it and occasionally have flashbacks that cause me to freak out. i saw a tylenol commercial with arthritis-stricken joints in it, including a knee that looked out of place,and that caused me so much pain. Im glad to hear of people who understand this injury, most say: ” it’s not that bad.” i wish they could step in our shoes and try looking at their leg when their knee is on the side.maybe they should think about how i was mentally affected by this i am and how much my life life was screwed up by this.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for sharing Ben. Sorry to hear about your situation, but you are absolutely right. People tend to forget about the mental damage that comes with an injury, and just the same as how everyone heals differently, everyone reacts and copes differently as well. 13 times!! yikes, that is crazy. Were, or are you still, a big sports player? I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to endure that pain two times, let alone 13! Wow. I hope things get better for you my friend.

Keep in touch,
Jonesy
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:56 am
Lisa Says:

Ben:
Wow, 13 times is the most I have ever heard of. Have you ever heard of something called Ehlers Danlos syndrome? I have it, but a very low grade case. All of the ligaments in my major joints are longer than they should be, so the bones kinda float around and are more mobile than they should be. I repeatedly twisted my ankle as a kid, dislocated the knee (I can wiggle the old kneecap pretty freely) and have dislocated my jaw several times. My oral surgeon diagnosed me. Several dentists had told me that TMJ was the reason for the jaw dislocation, but my oral surgeon was able to see that this was not the case (thankfully before I had any jaw surgery).

I would look up Ehlers online and ask your doctor about it. As I said there are several “levels” of Ehlers, mine is the least serious level, but at least I have an explanation. In my case, we think my Dad may have it also.

I know what you mean about the fear though. It’s never far from my mind, especially with the snow and ice on the streets this time of year. The idea of re-dislocating terrifies me.

PS:
Jonsey – I was at the hospital, prep’d and ready for the hysterectomy (a result of the blood thinners due to the pulmonary embolism caused by the dislocation) and my surgeon called it off. She doesn’t think I need the surgery after all. Dodged a bullet this time.

Still have lingering pain in the knee at night and it stiffens if I lounge around, but I can finally go down stairs freely and think all-in-all I’m doing fine. I do find that having a down feather bed on top of my mattress eases the nightime discomfort. I should go off the blood thinners in February, then hopefully I can fly to a beach somewhere and put most of this behind me.

Thanks again for the blog. It really helps to talk to folks who have been through it too.

Happy New Year!
December 30th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Elizabeth Says:

Hello! I found your site while doing a search for other people who have gone through this sort of event. I am thrilled to learn that someone else out there has experienced it and survived it. Until now, I didn’t know of anyone else.

My kneecaps have dislocated frequently since I was a young child, but because they always went right back into place, I was able to cope with it. This last summer, I was working on Mayan ruins in Belize when my left patella dislocated and refused to go back into place. Because archaeologists aren’t exactly EMTs, it was a four hour ride in the back of a truck to the nearest hospital. When we arrived, I was going into shock and trying to convince my brain to knock me out. It’s a long story, actually. The important thing is that it left me with more mental trauma than I’d like to admit. Upon returning to the states, I had a surgery to “fix” the dislocations (it is intended to at least reduce the frequency of the dislocations for six to ten years). This was 5.5 months ago. I haven’t woken up in terror, reliving the event, in a while, but it stays in my mind. Somewhere in my subconscious, my mind is keeping me from contracting my quad. Even with e-stem charged to the max, I can’t.

My physical therapist and doctor don’t understand the sort of impression the dislocations have left on me over the years, not to mention the last one. The scar tissue has built up from the surgery, and I can only bend the leg about 90 degrees. I’m still going to the physical rehabilitation process, but I’m still tortured knowing that eventually, it will happen again. I’m not willing to give up quite yet, though.

I’m glad to know you’ve survived it. I needed to know that someone else understands what that pain feels like, that it’s something other than pain, another genre of feeling entirely. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It is very much appreciated.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:23 am
Elizabeth Says:

Also, if anyone else would like to share their stories with me, please shoot me an email: ejennings2034[at]gmail.com.

I’ve been through upwards of 50 dislocations (I wish I were exaggerating) throughout my life, have had pretty much every technique to reduce the dislocations done (including a surgery with a long list of changes), and can share many stories.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:34 am
Connor H Says:

Yea Knee dislocations are one of the most painfull things i have had to endure. Right im only 13 and ive seen all your comments and i dislocated my left knee for the second time last week. I also done my right knee last year. Taking into consideration im only 13 and ive dislocated my knees 3 times all up i have to say it isnt the best, im stuck at home missing out playing with my mates fun eh?

I am pretty sure i am in the early stages of athrits in my left knee already and being a hockey goalie doesnt help with the crouching and such.

My recent knee dislocation i must admit was the worst one yet. I was standing talking to a friend when an idiot came up behind me and tackled/slid into the back of my knee. The pop i heard and instantly i knew what had happened, i was lying face down on the grass with my leg stuck half way in mid air, with my kneecap to the side of my leg. With me lying on where my knee cap should be.
It hurt but i had endured it 2 times before so i had to grin and bear it
I just so love my childhood. When the ambos came all they had to do was touch my knee and it popped back in and with my knowledge that isnt good meaning the tendons are extremly loose. Surgery awaits me in the future.

This is onne injury i would not wish for anyone especially young people.

All the best Connor Hampson.
March 7th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Jonesy Says:

Connor, thanks for sharing. 13, man, you teenagers with your crazy dislocation shenanigans. =] I feel for you my friend. It must be something to know that your knee can pop in and out with litle effort. I would have to agree that it seems like surgery is definitely in your future; unless of course there is a way to tighten up the tendons without surgery.

Stay strong Connor, and keep us posted on your recovery.

Jonesy
March 10th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Pookyface Says:

My 9 year old daughter has had both knees dislocate, but the cap goes back into place when she falls. I had this happen to me a few times, and I never would have believed her as to the amount of pain she was in if I didnt experience it. Tahe first time it happened right in front of me and I knew what it was just from my own experience. She is an acitve child, dance, swimming, soccer and now she is afraid to do anything as even walking can make it happen. She has 2 knee braces now but we cant live like this !! The doc referred us to pediatrician who says my daughter has joint laxity, and there is nothing to be done, although we are going to see Sports Med doc next month. It will have been 8 months since it first happened. I just cry for her as I dont blame her for being afraid to do things. So far they dont seem to want to send her to an orthopedic surgeon as supposedly the path we are on is faster – ha.
March 15th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Jonesy Says:

PF,

Thank you for sharing. 9 years old and having to endure this. I can completely understand her apprehension, especially if walking can set it off.

The sports medicine dr. sounds like a good idea as I am sure you wouldn’t want to rush into surgery if it wasn’t needed (at least not yet).

I never realized just how many kids suffered from dislocations until receiving the comments here. Unbelievable really.

I wish your daughter a speedy recovery and some type of direction on how to get this under control. And I wish the both of you continued strength and endurance during this difficult period.

Jonesy
March 17th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Reema Saleous Says:

I know how you feel. My knee first dislocated when I was in 2nd Grade. It really hurt. Me and my little brother were playing and suddenly, it dislocated I screamed in pain and yelled for my mom and big sister. They came running in and helped me to my bed. I was crying like crazy. And it dislocates without warning (till now). And then in 4th grade, it was summer and I decided to go walking with my family. I was walking in between 2 cars that were squished together, that was when my knee decided to dislocate. I thought it was normal, but after it dislocated I still felt pain. So my parents helped me to a near by bench. My mom pulled up my pants, and I saw my knee was on the side. I screamed (even though my dad tells me never to scream in public, but I didn’t care at that moment) and was crying so hard. Luckily, a nice man showed us the way to a near by hospital (and my dad had to carry me), and at random times my knee would suddenly hurt me. You don’t know what pain I had to go threw at that moment. I went to the emergency room and they made me lie down and x-rayed my knee. Then, the doctor came in and did something (I don’t know because my eyes were closed), and my knee was back to its correct place. The doctor put this medical tape on my knee to keep it in place. And now, I’m 12 and it still dislocates. I have nightmares every night because of that day when I was in 4th grade. You don’t know what pain I went threw at that moment. I cry myself to sleep. After that day… I was way more cautious. I never walk between squished cars ever again.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:50 am
Reema Saleous Says:

Now, I can’t even play P.E. I just sit and watch the others have fun. It makes me cry. They are lucky and they don’t even know it.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:51 am
Reema Saleous Says:

I can’t do anything like what Pookyface said. I used to be so active now… I don’t even walk. I just ask my brother or sister to get something for me and they do it. I also have both knee braces on at all times. I never take them off. Even when I sleep because it sometimes happens when I’m asleep.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:55 am
Reema Saleous. Says:

My situation is like Pookyface’s except a hundred times worse. I never take my braces off. Because I’m too afraid. Even when I sleep I have to keep them on. Because sometimes it happens when I’m asleep. I have to get a surgery when I’m 16. I’m really scared. Have you gotten the knee surgery? If you have: Does it hurt? Or do the doctors put you to sleep?
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:00 am
Jill Says:

Last week, on my birthday no less, I had my third dislocation. It started when I was 13 when I turned around and dislocated my left knee cap in the middle of class. Then when I was 15 I ran into my bed and dislocated my right one. Six years later, I’m standing in line and one of my friends thought it would be funny to kick me in the back of the knee (not hard). Well I fell and dislocated my left knee cap again. This time it didn’t go back in by itself so I had to push it in. I slapped a smaller brace on it and finished my week out. We were fixing houses on a mission trip so I definitely wanted to stay. I went to the doctor yesterday and he was no help at all! I’ve had so much more pain with this one! Also my muscle spasms, sometimes all the way up my thigh. Has any one else had that? It hurts like crazy! Even though I’m in a full leg brace I feel like my knee cap is trying to work its way back out. Maybe its just a mental thing though!
March 24th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
Reema Saleous. Says:

You are not alone Jill. Trust me. I’ve felt your pain. And I hate it. I’ve went to 15 physical therapists and none of them have helped!!
April 5th, 2010 at 10:17 am

A Little Lateral Dislocation of the Patella Anyone?

72 Responses to “A Little Lateral Dislocation of the Patella Anyone?”

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