My dislocation of the patella – physiotherpay and beyond

This is the third and final segment of my lateral dislocation of my right patella saga. The journey has taken us through the early stages, the middle stages, and now its ultimate conclusion: the physiotherapy.

The first week of physio was really tough. My quadriceps had completely disappeared. I had no muscle, it was weird to look at and depressing to see how quickly muscle can deteriorate (the doctor and physiotherapist both said that after 3 days of inactivity your muscles will start to deteriorate, your body determines that it isn’t essential so it breaks it down ). But my quad wasn’t the focus; it was my knee, and getting its full range of motion back. At the beginning of the week I could barely bend my knee at all, but after a grueling week of physio my range started improving. Aside from the exercises, I also had the electrodes hooked up to the knee; this would work the muscle around the knee. I also had an ultrasound type thing that was rubbed around the knee and surrounding area to break up the scar tissue that had formed on the tendons. What happened in my situation was that I had stretched my tendon to the point of just about breaking it apart, and because of that trauma there was a lot of micro fibrous tears throughout the tendon; and that is what the physiotherapist needed to repair as well.

This aspect of my recovery stayed consistent throughout. The other areas came once he felt my range of motion was good, as well as my balance and step.

From there I moved into doing the bicycle as well as the leg press, and the kick-back/kick-forward machine. The leg press wasn’t too bad, it was low weight with increasing repetitions (over time the weight was increased as well). Once again it is amazing how weak my leg had become because of this whole situation. However, my progress was good and I kept on trucking. The kick forwards were really really bad though, and painful too.

The bicycle, well, at the beginning it was DEADLY! At first I couldn’t do a complete rotation, it hurt way too much. Being the guy that I am though, I thought “let’s just give er a bit more shall we?” and by accident I made a full rotation; dear sweet-lord did I pay for it, it hurt something awful and the physiotherapist gave me some harsh words as well. It was a stupid move on my part and I never tried to be a rock-star in my recovery from that point forward. I did what I was told and went at my physiotherapists pace.

As I had mentioned in the previous post, after the first week I switched the crutches for a cane, which wasn’t too bad since he taught me how to use it properly (parallel with your bad leg as you walk and not out in front of it like a lot of people do), and after a week of the cane it was no aids whatsoever. It was a bit tricky at first but I eventually got the hang of it, although stairs were still quite hard and I had to concentrate and take it easy.

Another great recommendation by my physiotherapist was water therapy. All I needed was a swimming pool that had a shallow area that got progressively deeper. The reason for this was that in the beginning I was simply to just walk around in water that was up to my waist, what this allowed for was my body to get that sense of balance and the walking movement/motion yet still having the benefit of the water to help take the strain of weight and gravity off my leg. After doing this for a while I also added in periods of doing the bicycle motion under water as well. I really felt that this additional component of my physiotherapy really helped the progress of my recovery.

All in all everything was slow and took time but I kept progressing well. The only problem was that work was pushing to have me return to work, and before I knew it they asked my physiotherapist for his recommendation. Being the ethical gentleman that he is (which is important to me) he let them know that although I still required therapy I wasn’t in a position where I couldn’t travel to work and do my job. And that was the end of that. I was back to work and my life returned to its normal state and physiotherapy fell by the way side. It is completely my fault for letting that happen. I could have found some way to balance a strong continued recovery regimen but I didn’t. And I know that I am not 100% recovered because of it. My leg gained some muscle back but not close to what I had before. My knee still hurts from time to time depending on my level of activity, and the weather tends to affect it also, especially when it is a damp and rainy day. It makes crunchy noises too at times, which has me worried that scar tissue may have built back up. That being said, I need to fit my recovery back into my schedule or else things will never get better. I don’t want to be the person that says “well, I guess that is the way things are and I am just going to have to live with it.” I don’t want to live with this discomfort and pain, I don’t want to think that way, and I agree that right now this is the way things are but they don’t have to stay this way. I can do something to change it. And I will.

If anyone else has a knee injury recovery story I would love to hear it.

All the best,
Jonesy

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September 1, 2008 by Jonesy in Health and Fitness | 67 Comments »

67 Responses to “My dislocation of the patella – physiotherpay and beyond”

Clare Says:

Hi i was just reading your story, I fell at work on Oct 5 08 because some really clever person dripped bacon fat on the floor and didnt clear it up properly. i walked in slipped and my right leg went awkwardly over and i felt 3 cracks as i hit the floor it was like someone had turned a tap on in my knee and i new i had done something bad, my leg was locked! the ambulance crew arrived felt my knee and thought it was ligament damage as my knee cap was no where to be seen because it had swelled up so much so they put me on gas and air and got me to hospital where i had a rather painful xray which confirmed a dislocated pattela by this point i had gas and air and morphine. Then 2 doctors came in and one took my right leg and slid the patella back into place. excruciating pain!! but was less painful once it was back. I was put in plaster and sent home. i visited my fracture clinic 4 days later were an orthopedic doctor refered me to physio and took my plaster of. it was horible it was like my leg was dead. i could not even lift it slightly!!my knee felt like jelly? there was nothing there at all to support me. i had a 3 week wait before i started physio and since then it is getting better. although i am finding the physio incredibly painful. I feel a very strong nipping sensation under my knee cap when i bend it and the muscle at the left of my knee cap is tight and painful. Its true what they say… no pain no gain!! i am weight bearing with crutches now and just started climbing the stairs to sleep in my bed just 3 nights ago!!! it seems to be getting stronger every day, but i feel terrified like i have lost trust in my knee? Although my physio seems to think my cruciate ligaments are ok she said it will be a while before my knee settles down. so its not a knee recovery story as such but getting there!!!!
November 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Jonesy Says:

Wow, thank you so much for sharing your story Clare. I could definitely feel the pain that you were enduring. OUCH!! But it is really nice to hear that you are recovering so well, keep up with your physio and keep getting better. =)

I love how you said that you are terrified because you feel like you have lost trust in your knee. That is exactly how I felt in the early stages of my recovery as well (and at times when my knee gets sore again). Nicely put.

Thanks again, and keep me updated if you can.

cheers,
Jonesy
November 16th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Rebecca Says:

Hello!
Well I can completely identify with your story….I found it after much googling of the words’patella dislocation’!
I dislocated my patella on Oct 31st ‘08, I had just arrived at a party, I was in the kitchen and someone had spilt beer on the floor, I took a step backwards and slipped. It wasn’t the most dramatic looking of falls, I landed on my bum with my legs in front of me, but then all of a sudden I felt like I was about to hurl and the pain was terrible! I was lifted upstairs (I was passing out at this stage) and laid on a bed; this is when I think the knee popped back into place. I didn’t see it as I was wearing dark stockings on my legs, which were then cut off and my friends and I had a look at it (my right one if you’re interested) and it was *huge*, like the size of 3 knees. An A&E visit followed, where I was given 2 paracetemol and told to return later that morning which I did, for an X-Ray. Everything looked normal on the Xray, it took a later MRI and Ultrasound to see that it had definately dislocated and chipped some cartilage along the way. I was given crutches during this time, and used them for 7 weeks. My quads were 100% shut down, I failed the straight leg raise test, and I was met by disbelief at the Ortho clinic in my hospital :”We usually don’t see someone whose muscles have deteriorated so rapidly” and I’m like thanks Doc. I’m 24, quite fit, I did a lot of long-distance cycling that year and it was frightening to see my once normal and quite strong muscles just vanish. I was pretty much despairing by the time Xmas came around, but I started to see a very good Physio, who happens to be right near my house. She recommended this thing called Kneehab, it’s an electro-impulse kit that is shaped like a bandage (see http://www.neurotech.co.uk/kneehab_home.php)
and after just 2 sessions of Kneehab suddenly I could move, just a tiny bit though- my leg! It honestly felt like a miracle…after 2 months of complete unresponsiveness, being stuck on the couch and in pain, finally I was getting somewhere. It’s been about 2 weeks since the quads have kicked in now, and they still appear totally wasted especially when I compare my good leg, it’s like the skin is just hanging off the bone. Pretty gross. BUT I am way more optimistic now that I am doing more intense physio and slowly seeing results…I have to do calf-stretching exercises, quad tightening and leg raises up to 200 times a day. Operation still not ruled out, my Ortho consultant is ‘treating the knee conservatively’. All the ligaments are ok thank god. It was amazing how one fall did so much damage, and how much this injury impacts on your daily life. I am still out of work and won’t return til the end of this month. I went for a longish walk today (about an hour) and it was a bit scary cause of the knee feeling unstable, it tends to buckle without warning once or twice a day. Running is completely out for a long time I think! One of the worst things by far is the weather affecting mobility…I live outside Dublin in Ireland and it’s super icy in winter and I slipped on black ice the other day and well to say my heart was in my mouth as I nearly fell would be an understatement.
How are you doing with recovery now? Hope you are well!
B.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Jonesy Says:

Rebecca, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. You had quite the ordeal, but it is great to hear that your recovery is coming along quite nicely. =) Keep doing your exercises and keep on with the walking, running will come along soon enough; all in moderation. I can proudly say that I was able to do 30 minutes on my eliptical machine last night. I was great! Zero pain and zero discomfort, even the day after my knee is feeling normal. Being the way that I am, I will have to remind myself to not get too excited, and start pushing myself too far. I will keep up with the pace that works for me right now, and bit by bit increase the time and resistance setting. Before I know I will be on the road to being fit again.

You are absolutely right Rebecca, it takes an injury such as what we have gone through to truly appreciate and respect our mobility.

I look forward to hearing more about your progress.

Take care,
Jonesy
January 9th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Leanne Says:

I first dislocated my right patella on the night of my 18th in January 07. I turned in bed and twisted it the wrong way. Went to hospital, got it popped back in and was given a splint and crutches. 6 weeks later saw the specialist who diagnosed Ligamentous Laxity. I had very brief physio, too painful so I gave up. About 4 months later, it dislocated again, same drill with it all again. Didn’t do physio. It is a very recurrent problem for me now, it dislocated again 2 days ago, it’s the 5th time in just over 2 years. This time I didn’t bother with the splint, I find it can be too restricting, so I used a tube grip which I took off this morning. Basically my right knee is very damaged now, there is loose cartilage, overstretched ligaments and torn tendons. My advice to anyone who ever dislocates a knee: Do the physio! lol. Because I thought I didn’t need it, my knee is now in a condition where a lot of the damage is permanent and irriversible. I could have the op to tighten the ligaments, it may prevent future dislocation, but it comes with a great deal of pain, and I’ve had enough of that over the past 2 years lol
February 20th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Jonesy Says:

Leanne, thank you for sharing. Much like the others that have shared you have quite the predicament. You offer up some great advice and unfortunately my stubbornness keeps wining out and I have yet to go back to my physiotherapist for a “current state” analysis/diagnosis. The crunching in my knee when stand after bending down is crazy!

I really wish the best for you Leanne. I hope that everything works itself out and you no longer have to endure the amount of pain that you have been going through.

All the best,
Jonesy
February 21st, 2009 at 3:24 am
Jen Says:

Thank you for taking the time to post your story and all the great info.

I dislocated my patella while standing on a boat. The boat took off and I lost my balance. I heard a loud POP, felt a horrible pain about the same as childbirth, and fell to the ground. I thought I broke my knee when I saw the bulge on the outside of my leg (it was my knee cap). I had to sit on the bottom of the boat for about 45min. until we got to the dock where an ambulance took me on a 1/2 journey to the hospital. X-rayed, splinted and told to see a dr in a couple of days. I was told I tore a bunch of ’stuff’ in my knee and to ice and rest.

I’m 3 weeks post dislocation and still very swollen but pain has gotten a bit more bearable. I see the dr in 2 weeks and hope to be fitted with a walking brace. I’m sick of sitting around on the couch trying to keep busy while the world is out enjoying summer.

I hope I can start physio in the next couple weeks. The best thing the physiotherapist gave me and I recommend it to everyone is a Cyro Cuff pack. It’s like a blood pressure cuff and is hooked up to a container of ice water which fills up the cuff and completely surround the knee with cold water. It’s heavenly and I use it several times a day and brings instant relief.

When I asked the doc when I’ll be walking around he told me several months. Can anyone tell me in reality how long it took until they were up and walking again after the injury?

Thanks!
July 5th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Jen,

Thanks for sharing. It is always interesting to hear the various ways people have dislocated their knees; I believe you are the first share a “at sea” story. =)

That Cyro Cuff gadget sounds pretty cool, wish I had it during my recovery. In regards to your question about whether your doctor is off the mark in the timeline for when you will be back on your feet….I would say it is fairly accurate based on your situation, which seems similar to mine and I was up and around and back to work in two months. I think I was able to “walk” after a month and a bit. That being said, there could be other things particular to your situation that may expedite or hinder your progress; it is very subjective.

All the best in your recovery and please keep us updated.

Cheers,
Jonesy
July 5th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Shell Says:

I came across this site after googling ‘patella dislocation’ to compare my story with others, but I seem to have had a lucky escape! I dislocated my right patella 2 weeks ago yesterday whilst dancing in a night club, it popped out to the side and went straight back in again, but then the pain was unbearable and an ambulance was called. I was given a full leg bandage and given a follow up appointment at the fracture clinic for the friday morning, 3 days after, where they have me a cricket splint and I was told to wear for 3 weeks and make a follow up appointment and physio. Unfortunately this happened at the end of my uni term so I had to make the appointment at my hospital at home, which I had today. It was only 2 weeks after instead of 3 but I couldn’t get another one. Today the doctor has told me to keep the splint on for 2 more weeks as ligaments have torn in order for my knee cap to have moved, however I have had no pain at all, even the day after the accident and have put full weight on my leg and only really used my crutches for long distances. I went to physio and she said I have ‘hypermobility’ where my joints are bendy and more prone to dislocation, so my injury isn’t that major. She doesn’t think I need the splint on for 2 weeks and has given me exercises to do at home and advised me to take the splint off for little periods whilst at home and try to walk on it ( I didn’t want to say that I have been doing this anyways without any pain)
My knee is a little stiff but I can straighten it nearly all the way and can bend it to a right angle and even more with no pain whatsoever. I have another physio appointment next week, but luckily my dislocation doesn’t seem to have caused me as much pain and discomfort as others!
July 8th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Shell,

Thank you for sharing your story and glad to hear you “had a lucky escape”. =) Those must have been some serious dance moves you were working to make your knee dislocate. Hehehe.

It seems like everything is going to work out for you, recovery wise, although I guess with the hypermobility you are going to have to tone things down a bit….at least on the dance floor. =)

All the best, and good luck with the physiotherapy. Keep us posted.

Jonesy
July 9th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Lori Says:

On June 20th, around 9pm, I was about to finish a two mile walk, when I decided to run my last 100 meters. This was not a good decision, because I have not ran that hard or fast in a long time. As I reached a high rate of speed, I heard a pop and my right knee gave out. My left knee hit the rubber track first, peeling off a few layers of skin. (Rubber track wipeouts at high rates of speed are not advisable.) There was pain and immediate swelling in my right knee. By morning, the swelling was pretty bad, not only around my knee, but my foot and ankle was huge! I went to the ER. They thought I tore the meniscus, so they put me in a knee immobilizer and gave me crutches and an ice pack. They didn’t explain how to get around on the crutches. Being a first timer, this was quite an experience. Especially travelling up and down stairs. Two weeks later, I had an MRI and finally seen an orthopedic surgeon. It was not a meniscus tear, but a dislocation of the patella. They didn’t think I needed surgery. They sent me to a physical therapist who gave me some exercises to do at home. It’s been a slow process, as it took me a week and a half to get off of the crutches. I can walk, but still can’t straighten my leg completely. There is swelling on both sides of my knee. Did everyone else have this? It’s been almost a month since the accident. I’ve been using ice, but not as often as I should. I have another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon in four days. I’m afraid if it doesn’t go down, he will want to stick a long needle in my knee and drain fluid. From what I’ve heard, this is not a pleasant experience. It’s been great reading all of these stories. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Lori,

Thank you for sharing your story. Looks like you had the perfect set up for the dislocation (two mile walk followed by a crazy 100 meter dash); similar to my situation your muscle was too fatigued to try and keep the knee in place. Ouch! Same situation for me with the crutches as well. The hospital just gives em to you without any instructions. It wasn’t until a week later when I had my first Ortho visit that I was shown the proper way of going up and down a flight of stairs (fun stuff). My knee still maintained a fair bit of swelling, but I was combating that with lots of intermittent icing as well as taking ibuprofen. Hopefully you don’t have to go the draining route, that definitely doesn’t sound like fun, but I guess if it has to be done then it has to be done. Stay strong.

Looking forward to hearing your progress,

Jonesy
July 19th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Robbie Says:

Thanks for your series of posts! I just came across this, like the others, after Googling “kneecap dislocation timeline,” and it is indeed good to hear other stories (though I’m not sure you bargained for becoming a group-therapy blog for patella sufferers!).

I dislocated my patella on July 4, about 15 minutes before we had family over to watch fireworks here in Ohio. Seemingly no reason for it — I was finishing work in a garden, stood up and took a step, and the knee just gave out. And like everyone else, it hurt to no end. Squad came, and the EMTs gave a bad joke about all the local hospitals being closed for the holiday, which really wasn’t too funny in my situation…

Thankfully, they sedated me in the ER before popping it back into place, then gave me crutches and a straight-leg brace and showed me how to basically hop on one foot. I, too, hated sitting around so much! But three days later, saw an orthopedic doc who did X-rays, ordered an MRI in two more days and showed how to walk with just one crutch, which was really a Godsend. He basically said my kneecaps are just more crooked than most, and so might come out. Well, that’s reassuring… Next week, saw him again, and he said the MRI showed no tears. Set up an appt. for rehab starting next week.

Right now, actually able to walk pretty well with the one crutch, and to get small distances with no crutches, if I just keep a stiff leg. But the brace is driving me absolutely crazy — never realized how many things require bending our leg. Swelling is well done, and the doc doesn’t think any draining is needed. Still, it hurts to no end to bend the knee much, though perhaps partly it;s just a fear of re-dislocating it. I’m mainly hoping that the rehab guy says I’ll be able to bend it enough to drive to grad school about 6 hours away by the end of August, since I’m rally not sure I can stand being driven around lying in the back of a car for that long. (Luckily, my left knee is the bad one, so I don’t really use it to drive — but it needs to be able to fit in the car…) How long did it take you to get back to being able to drive?

Thanks again for your stories, and for all the others’ stories! As they’ve said, nice to know I’m not alone!
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Robbie,

Glad to hear that you find this series of posts helpful, and yes, you are not alone in your recovery. I think it is awesome that this series of posts has become so popular. I wrote it because when my dislocation happened to me I couldn’t find any real life/real people information on it. It was all medical journals and very convoluted info that really didn’t do much to ease my concerns and curiosities about what to expect during my recovery. I am so grateful that I have been able to provide a place for people to find some peace of mind and support; woohoo!

You should start to see some serious progress once you start your physiotherapy/rehabilitation. In regards to the driving timeline….hmmmmm, I wouldn’t be able to give you an accurate estimate because I dislocated my right knee, so driving wasn’t an option for a few months or so. Hopefully you are able to drive well before then.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Jonesy
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Michael Says:

I was playing beach volleyball two weeks ago when it happened. I jumped up to block the ball but it hit the net and I followed it down while my legs were still in a jumping position. As soon as I landed on my feet I fell right to the ground because I felt something unusual. I heard a cracking noise, just like if you were to crack all of your fingers at the same time. The noise vibrated through my body and it was shocking to see that my knee was out of place. I had absolutely no idea what was wrong with my leg. It was like one of those really disturbing skateboarding accident videos you see. I thought I had lost my leg for good. The strange thing was I wasn’t in that much pain after it happened. Not until 5 minutes later did the pain come, slowly but surely.

After about a 45 min wait the ambulance came and they strapped my legs together. They gave me “funny gas” which I was extremely thankful for because it completely numbed the pain.

After I got to the hospital it took about 2 hours for the doctor to relocate my knee. After another hour I had an x-ray. After another 2 hours the nurse merely came in with crutches and told me I could leave. I asked to speak with the doctor because he did not give me any information at all! I waited another 45 minutes for him to come in and the first thing I asked him was when would I be able to walk again? He told me “you will be walking within a week”! He told me I could take the brace off in 3-4 days.

Exactly one week later my brace was still on, knee still swollen, and there was no way I could even stand. However, it’s been two weeks and I made an appointment with my family doctor for next week. The first 3 days were very painful and didn’t involve me moving a lot. After I slowly started moving around the house with my crutches. After a week I took the brace off and my leg, surprisingly, shrank drastically. I can now walk with two crutches and somewhat use my damaged leg (right one) to support some weight. After the first day of actually trying it, my achilles tendon became extremely sore and my upper calve is even more so. I have started bending my knee little by little after I took the brace off just to stretch it and it seems to be moving farther everyday now. Before I read this website, the only thing that was keeping me from trying to slowly walk and stand with no support was my muscle atrophy. I can feel and see the lack of power from my leg muscles from not using them. I was going to continue with my little routine, however, I think I will go see a physiotherapist after reading some of the posts. I really don’t want to damage myself in the long run! I hope everyone gets better and thank you for sharing your supportive stories!
August 10th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Michael,

Thanks for taking the time to share your story and glad to hear that you were able to gain some insight from the other posts. Definitely wait to see the physiotherapist before doing any “experiments” with your leg. It’s kind of like those warnings before stunt shows “do not try this at home”. =)

Looking forward to hear your progress.

Jonesy
August 10th, 2009 at 5:45 am
Jen Says:

Hello again,

It’s now been nearly 9 weeks and I’m just wondering why the heck it’s taking so long? Does anyone know the average time frame to ‘get back to normal’? I can’t believe how much pain I still have, especially at night. I wake up with an electric storm in my knee.

I’ve got a walking brace now, which is good for small distances, and one crutch for longer walks. My knee still swells up huge by the end of the day and still can’t straighten completely or bend more than about 60 degrees.

Someone give me hope? This feels like it will last forever!!!! I’m envious of those of you who are up and walking without pain after a week or so.

Jonesy, how long has it been since you had your dislocation, and do you still get pain in your knee?
August 14th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Jen,

Sorry to hear that things are progressing as well as you would like them to. I know how frustrating that can be. Has your physiotherapist or Doctor told you anything? Much like anything related to the human body, I feel that this is a very subjective ordeal; each person heals and recovers differently than the other. Some fast, some slow, some with pain and some without.

I dislocated my knee back in the end of June of 2007, so that puts it at just over 2 years ago (wow, amazing how fast time goes by). Unfortunately Jen, I hate to be mr. buzzkill here, but my knee still hurts from time to time. I have been able to do an hour on the eliptical machine with no concerns, but running for long distances is definitely out of the question. The majority of the pain comes from bending too low and then getting back up, as well as sitting in one spot for prolonged periods of time. Sometimes the pain is fleeting, while others it can last for a while (at which point ibuprofen helps a lot). The crunchiness hasn’t gone away either. Anytime I bend my knee I can feel it. I don’t want to make you feel more depressed about your situation Jen, I am just letting you know how it is with me (currently). Does this mean that your future holds the same? I don’t know. My biggest advice would be don’t do what I did and stop going to the physiotherapist. As much as I say I am going to go I still haven’t made it enough of a priority. Things keep getting in the way. One day. =(

Hang in there Jen.

Jonesy
August 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Jen Says:

Well then Mr. Buzzkill thanks a lot for that wonderful news! I think I might go absolutely crazy if my knee still hurts after 2 years. Do you wear a patella stabilizer at all? I got one two days ago and I find it actually helps. Something about pain is caused when the patella isn’t tracking right so the brace helps it to track in the right place. If the ligament is torn or stretched then the patella will want to drift. Have you ever considered surgery to tighten and stabilize everything? I read that more drs are considering this as a preventative measure to help avoid arthritis and further damage to cartilage.

I’ll find out on Thursday what the MRI means and what options I have. I can’t drive yet, and live way out in the boonies so physio hasn’t been a big part of my life yet except for someone who comes to my home every couple of weeks or so. I’m doing lots of leg lifts and trying to get more bend in my knee each day. It’s crazy how fast those muscles disappear.

My advice to you is to get back to physio! Thanks for the info, it does make me feel a bit more sane to know there is someone else out there that isn’t miraculously healed in 1 week.

Jen
August 16th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Jonesy Says:

Since the pain is intermittent and infrequent, I haven’t bothered to wear a brace. My knee never feels like it is going to pop back out or anything, the pain is more just an overall pain around the knee. Much like the crunchiness, it is just around the knee. As far as surgery…….no thanks. I am not a huge fan of being cut open, only because it doesn’t seem like a guarantee that it will do anything. Temporary solution that requires some serious invasive measures. =( It doesn’t mean that I would speak with my Orthopedic surgeon or Physiotherapist and see what their thoughts are on my current situation. But if I don’t have to have surgery I don’t really want it. (Big Chicken).

Glad I was able to restore some of your sanity. =)

Good luck on Thursday,
Jonesy
August 16th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
George Says:

Hi Guys

Firstly, thanks for the posts – it’s reassuring to find people who are in the same boat. I dislocated my right patella when I was running up the stairs two weeks ago. Paramedics tried to pop it back in but couldn’t so the doctor had to do it. Had an appointment the day after (god bless the NHS) and i was told to rest it for two weeks and was given a knee immobiliser.

Got my next appt tomorrow where i’m hoping to get a knee brace so i can move around a little better.

Hope you are all doing well.

George
UK
September 1st, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi George,

Sorry to hear about your incident. Hope your doctor appointment went well and that you got your brace.

Cheers,
Jonesy
September 6th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Stacy Says:

Hi, other sufferers!

I had problems with my knee for a year or so – started when I sat down awkwardly and my left knee gave a really loud crack. It was sore for a few days after, and then occasionally painful for the following year. I visited my doctor a total of 4 times and was told I had stretched my MCL, and that until it snapped (ouch) there was nothing they could do. Each time I was sent home with painkillers. Until the final time, I saw a different doc and she referred me to the hospital.

I was still waiting for the referral letter to come through, when 4 weeks ago I was walking through the kitchen at work and suddenly my knee felt as though it had popped out to the left, and then popped back in – it was excruciating There was no way I could bear weight on it or even move it, the pain was so bad.

So they wheeled me out of work on an office chair, and I got a lift to the local A&E department. I was x-rayed but there was no bone damage. I waited and eventually saw a doctor, who put me in a splint and gave me crutches. I had to return the next day to see a knee specialist.

Next day came, I went to see the specialist, who told me my thigh bone wasn’t properly aligned with my knee cap, which in turn had weakened my ligament, allowing repeated dislocation of the patella. He signed me off work for 8 weeks, gave me a leg brace set to 20 degrees movement, and told me to return each week for physio, and to have my brace adjusted by another 20 degrees.

I now have 100 degree movement in my knee, and minimal pain – except when I do the physio exercises. I can weight bear fine and don’t really need the crutches unless I’m walking a long way.

No real clue when they’ll let me take off the brace, start driving my car again, and go back to work. It’s so frustrating

Nice to hear I’m not the only one though. Hope you are all well
October 13th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Jonesy Says:

Stacy,

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. Hopefully getting wheeled out of your office in an office chair wasn’t too embarrassing for you. If you can laugh at the whole situation that is probably the best approach. =)
Glad to hear you have 100 degree movement back in your knee, and I know for certain that in time the payment from the physio exercises will go away. My recovery period was about 8 weeks as well. Although it did take a couple of more weeks when I felt comfortable driving again. It was my right knee, moving between the gas and the break, and keeping it bent for long periods of time wasn’t too pleasant at first. =)

You are definitely not alone in your recovery Stacy.

cheers,
Jonesy
October 16th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Khadija Says:

Hi Jonesy,
Looks like I don’t have anyhting new to add to my story of patella dislocation as what I have read so far is very familiar and I find myself nodding in agreement.
It is reassuring though to know that this happens to others an that i do not have a rare condition!!
I dislocated my right patella (lateral) in 1996 when I slipped while trying to get up from a slippery floor. I do not recollect doing any physiotherapy and never experienced any problem untill last 3 weeks ag when i dislocated my patella again (this time median) after almost 13 years!!
My leg was in plaster for a week and the in RJB for 2. I have to start physiothearpy next week and was doing my own research on the internet when i came across your blog.
Thank you for posting…it puts things in perspective and I guess that’s why I am writing as well.
(PDA – patella dislocation anonyamous)

Warm Regards
Khadija
October 19th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Jonesy Says:

Thank you for your comment Khadija. So sorry to hear about your recurring dislocation, that is crazy that it happened 13 years later, hopefully you are not superstitious. =) Glad to see that these posts were able to ease your concerns. Keep us updated!

Jonesy
October 29th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Karen Says:

Hi there,

Well I discloated my knee nearly 4mths ago, I had a full leg brace on for about 4wks then a leg brace which has now come off! I finally started physio, finding it very painful but in the four sessions I have had have gone from not being able to bend at alll to using the exercise bike! Still alot of pain and if I stand or walk for too long it’s very sore!!

Starting to try and drive again but my problem being it’s my left knee which is needed for the clutch!!!
I start my lower limbs class on Thursday to build musle bk up again and continue physio!
Oh and after 3mths they decide it’s time for an MRI as there is a chance of more damage than expected!!!!

I’m fed up!!!

Karen
northern Ireland
November 24th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Karen, thank you for sharing. Believe, I think we can all relate to your frustration. =] with time things will get better.
I would be interested to find out what they teach you in your limb class.

Hope your feeling better,
Jonesy
December 5th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Lori Says:

Hi again. It’s been almost 6 months since my dislocation. I still have trouble with stairs. It hurts going up and down them, but I can do it. I bought a mini stepper a couple of weeks back and I hope that it helps, but it’s too soon to tell. No attempts at running since the doctor strongly advised against that. I really appreciate that you mention how everyone heals differently. My co-workers were not sympathetic at all. They were telling me (when I was on the crutches) that I should have been off of them by now. I was only on them for a little over 3 weeks. You would think that people who teach physiology would be intelligent enough to know that every injury is different as well as the healing time. Anyway, I would like to encourage everyone to keep doing the exercises. It gets old, but it is still helping me after all of this time. I am slowly getting better every day, even if one leg is still about an inch smaller than the other. Best of luck to everyone!
December 8th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Lori, thanks for checking back in and keeping us updated. Glad to hear that things are getting better, slowly but surely. =) Pay no mind to the arm-chair quarter-backs, everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is our responsibility to “separate the wheat from the chaff”.

As far as your leg size goes, my bad leg is still smaller than my good one, but I have no one to blame but myself. I am sure I could get it back up to what it once was, if I worked at it. =)

Thanks again Lori,

Jonesy
December 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Amy Says:

Hi there
On the 18th august 2009 I was gettin ready to go to town and as I was in such a rush I hurried around on my laminate flooring, I slipped and I remember hearing a loud CRACK but no pain so I assumed it was my floorboards cracking.. Usually when I fall over I get up straight away, but this time I was unable to move.. I dragged myself across my floor and called my mum and dad for help, they phoned the ambulance and when the paramedics cut my pants to reveal my knee on the side of my leg they confirmed that I dislocated my patella in my left leg, they gave me gas and air and popped it back in, I didn’t necessarily feel pain but the thought of my knee out of place made me pass out as they put it back in.. When I woke they took me to hospital and I had an x ray, no bone was chipped.. Thank god.

Since then I have had a cricket splint and crutches but I am finally off them my doctor has told me I will be requiring surgery as I am a competitive figure skater and I have caused
serious damage to my anterior cruchet ligament.

Like many of you I have lost trust in my knee, I’m scared of running and jumping as I fear I might have to go through the ordeal again.. I might keep you updated?

I really enjoyed Reading your accounts so I decided to tell you my experience
December 14th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Ammario Says:

Hey, I dislocated my patella about a month ago by falling down the stairs and have had about a week of physio so far. My knee is still swollen but is bending a bit more, about a 95 degree angle. I was wondering how long it will approx. take to start fully bending? My physiotherapist was unsure exactly how long, so i thought I’d ask someone who has had experience with this injury. Any feedback is great.

Thanks,

Ammario
December 15th, 2009 at 11:11 am
Jonesy Says:

Amy, thank you for sharing. Hopefully your surgery goes well and you are able to get back into your figure skating. Hopefully you regain confidence in your knee as well. For me it some time because although I knew my knee had regained it’s movement and strength, I still couldn’t get my brain to send the movement messages that were required, my fear would cut those thought off. =)

Please keep us updated, it is always great to hear how people are doing.

Jonesy
December 15th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Ammario,

Sorry to hear about your situation, and thanks for taking the time to share. As for how long it will take to get a full bend back into your knee, that all depends on you and the treatment you are receiving. My physiotherapist was very good, and I was able to see him every day. We would spend the first part of the therapy doing the bending stuff, little by little we would go further and further, but never to the point of bad pain. I would say in about a couple of weeks or so I was able to bend it pretty far. That was me though, as I have said before, everyone heals differently.

Good luck,
Jonesy
December 15th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Marian Says:

Hallo everyone, reading your stories has been so helpful. Well mine is a little different, my knee cap has dislocated twice while I’ve been fast asleep in bed! The first time I don’t think I really understood what had happened, after a few hours we called the out of hours doctor and an ambulance was on its way, but as I attempted to stand, it popped back in – pain beyond words. I was so relieved that it was over that stupidly I did nothing about it and carried on as usual.

About one month later, and just before Christmas, the same thing happened again, this time it would not go back in. Paramedics tried with gas and air, almost successful but not quite. Doctors at A&E tried with morphine, still not successful, had to be sedated and then they got it back in! Apparently there is a fracture too.

So have had a brace for the 2.5 weeks, but it’s hopeless, keeps slipping down! I’m pretty mobile though and not in any pain, but very nervous, especially about going to sleep! I have another hospital appointment this afternoon and really hope they’ll give me good news. One thing I have taken from all your comments is how important it’ll be to exercise and do physio, I will do anything they tell me to avoid being in this mess again!

Good luck everyone!
January 5th, 2010 at 5:31 am
neil kent Says:

Hi
If you are reading this, then I guess you have had a knee dislocation, and my advice to everyone is dont despair !!
I fully dislocated my left knee playing badminton – of all sports.quick change in direction, and it popped out. I can honestly say i have never been through pain like it, and screamed the sports hall down – from memory, f*ck was my word of choice, repeated every 5 secs at full volume – bit embarrasing. had to be pinned down, and was swinging for anyone who came near me to try and touch it – if you are reading this and smiling, you know the score on this.
It popped back in after the longest 2 minutes of my life, by me straightening the knee. I got carted to hospital for xrays, and sent home
I am very active, and i was in a very dark place not being able to walk, and though all my sports days were over.
My advice is see a KNEE SPECIALIST. DOnt mess around.pay the money. get professional help. I really was in despair, and after great advice and physio, 12 months later im back 100% to where i was – maybe stronger.
dont give up ! you can fix this
neil
January 13th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Carmen Says:

My daughter was practicing lay-ups for basketball on Wednesday, came down wrong, and was in pain. She said she heard a “popping” noise. School nurse iced her then aced it. Daughter had semester finals that day, so she was able to finish those. I took her to the ER after school and the said it was pattellar subluxation. What is the difference between dislocation and subluxation? She is in a brace and following R.I.C.E. She follows up with a doctor on Wednesday. She is bummed that she can’t play, won’t be able to play soccer this season, and may miss track season.
January 16th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Jonesy Says:

Sorry to hear about your daughter’s situation, may her recovery be fast and pain free. I found a few websites on the net that will hopefully shed some more light on the “dislocation vs. subluxation” question you had. Although the simplest difference is that a subluxation is a partial, or incomplete, dislocation.

Here are those websites:

Link 1
Link 2
January 16th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
michelle Says:

I can not tell you how much of a relief it has been to hear other people talking from experience about this injury. I dislocated my right patella in the pub on new years eve (3 weeks ago) by turning quickly, my foot didnt move with my leg and it gave way and i fell to the floor, when i looked at my knee i honestly thought it was broken, ive never seen anything like it and could tell my friends were thinking the same thing but trying not to show it! the thing that surprises me is how people have been describing the pain when their kneecap was out but i dont know if it was shock or the couple of bottles of bud id drank but i didnt really feel any pain just discomfort, the paramedics arrived after about 20 mins and managed to pop it back in after giving me gas and air then i saw new year in in an ambulance on the way to a & e!
After an x ray that showed nothing loose behind my knee i was sent home after having to ASK for crutches, i dont know how they had expected me to move anywhere without them with my knee being very sore and the size of a grapefruit!
I am now in week 3 after injury and have just started to walk without crutches although my knee gives way every now and then so if im goin out i use one crutch still.
Have had two physio appointments and have been trying to do the exercises as often as i can and have seen a definite improvement although my quads still arnt working properly so more exercising needed.
I got married in october 2009 and we have our honeymoon to sri lanka and the maldives next week, my husband and i are quite active people, especially when we are on holiday and i am absolutely gutted that this has happened right now, we tried to cancel hol but were unable to as i had had a drink when it happened (although was not drunk) physio has said i cant swim but can stand or float in the water and can do a little bit of walking around with a knee support on but i basically wont be doing much more than sunbathing which isnt a bad things i suppose, i can work on my exercises and have a chill out but it wasnt really what i had planned.
Although i have seen a big improvement from when it first happened i have lost all confidence in my ability to walk and my main worry is that this is gona be an ongoing weakness in my knee that im always gona be paranoid about but it has been nice to read everyone elses experiences and i hope you all get better soon!x
January 25th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Jonesy Says:

Michelle,

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. You are extremely lucky to have not had to feel the pain of the dislocation. As I have said before, I have felt nothing like that before or since. Excruciating! The shock, the adrenaline, and also the “Budweiser” more than likely saved you from that part of the experience. =)

Sorry to hear about you having to go away on your holidays under your present circumstances. It is good that you are seeing the positive side of things to it, nothing worse than focusing on the negative. Also, the water will be very good for your recovery. I agree with the fact that you shouldn’t be swimming, but part of my physio was going to the pool and just walking around in the shallow end. The point is it helps to get you back into walking properly and redeveloping the motion. All good.

Have a great time,
Jonesy
January 25th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Katie Says:

I first dislocated my knee playing basketball exactly a year ago today. I jumped and my knee gave way and landed awkwardly. First off I tried to get back up but I fell directly back down. The pain was excruciating and I let out a rather loud scream. The next bits are quite a blur, I think because I was so dazed from the pain. I think the first aiders carted me off the floor and iced it. After a while my mum took me to A&E where I was xrayed and was diagnosed with a dislocated patella. I was given a splint and was told to rest for 2 weeks. At my next appointment I had more scans and they found a shadow inside my knee. They were quite worried as to what it was so they sliced me open to find a tumour which had grown to help push my knee out of place. After more tests, poking and prodding results showed that tumour was cancerous. Turns out it was bone cancer, but they caught it early enough and I was going to be okay.

While this cancer stuff was going on I was going out of my mind with worry considering I was 13 and I couldn’t do anything other girls my age were doing. So after God knows how many hours of physio, chemotherapy and different therapies I have grown into being a sort of healthy young girl.

Everyday life is still very painful, sometimes I can’t even move my knee 10 degrees. Last week I re-dislocated and it took 3 hours, 4 different doctors and 4 different methods to get it back into place, but they did it.

Now I am 14 and I am getting stronger by the day and am back at school part time. I am still not clear from the bone cancer, but everything is looking good and doctors have high hopes for the future
February 14th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Jonesy Says:

Katie,

Thank you so much for posting your story. Your strength is unbelievable for someone your age. Keep that attitude up and you will definitely get through anything life puts in front of you. Seriously, to go what you are going through and to have such clarity, strength and endurance is anything short of inspirational. I will never complain about any discomfort I have in my knee from this point forward.

I wish you a speedy recovery and full clearance of your cancer. Keep your head up my dear, stay strong and stay focused on moving forward no matter what.

Also, it would be really great if you could keep us updated as well. Your strength is our strength, as we are all in this together.

Jonesy
February 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Katie Says:

Thank You

I am back at the Cancer clinic on Friday to see if there’s been any improvement/disimprovement – so here’s hoping!

Following my last dislocation my knee is getting on okay, managing to walk further and further each day!
February 17th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Jonesy Says:

I will keep you in my thoughts on Friday. Hopefully all is well.
Good to hear about the progress with your mobility. That’s how it works, baby steps. =]

thanks for the update.
Jonesy
February 18th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Katie Says:

I had the check up today and sadly the cancer is much more agressive than before. It has spread from my knee down my leg in my foot and up to my hip joint.

I am having a more indepth scan sometime next week – I’ll keep you infomed

Katie
February 19th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Jonesy Says:

Katie,

My thoughts and prayers go out to you. I realize it is easier said than done, but if you can, please do not let this ruin that wonderful attitude of yours. It is that attitude that will help you get through anything that may come your way.

Stay strong my friend, and think healthy thoughts. =)

Jonesy
February 19th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Katie Says:

Thanks Jonsey, means a lot.

I had the scan and it is quite far along in my hip, too far along for chemotherapy. I am having an operation next week to see if they can do anything with it, here’s hoping they can!

Katie.
February 26th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Jonesy Says:

Katie,

Here’s hoping indeed. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers throughout the week. Stay strong.

Jonesy
February 27th, 2010 at 12:14 am
Bex Says:

Hi Jonesy

I’ve just read your 3 entries with great interest but wincing all the way through.
I managed to dislocate my patella trying to execute a side kick in tae kwondo back in October 2007. I work as a Radiographer in a hospital in London and knew as soon as I had done it what kind of injury it was. I totally know how you meant with the clunk that you hear as your knee cap disappears to the side of your leg. It travels right through you and you hear and feel it in your head even.

After lengthy physio and some setbacks (not only did I dislocate my patella but I also had a partial tear of the Medial Collateral Ligament) it took me 10 months before I was back at work full time. Luckily I avoided surgery and as I was an outpatient at the hospital I work at, they have kept my appointment open in case I ever need to go back.

I think your wee blogs are important for anyone that has been or is going through the same thing – it does get better but it’s only now (after nearly 30 months) that the persistant clicking and crunching has finally stopped, though I do find that sometimes my knee “clunks” if I turn a particular way with the leg off the ground – the only thing I can compare it to is when you crack your knuckles/joints.

Anyway, thanks again for such a good insight, though for me it was like being there all over again lol

Kind regards

Bex
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:49 am
Jonesy Says:

Thanks for sharing Bex,

At least your dislocation was doing something cool like a sidekick, telling people I dislocated mine playing dodge-ball tends to bring a certain level of lameness with it. =)

Jonesy
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Robert Says:

Hey, well this isn’t really a recovery story, but I just dislocated my left patella 4 days ago, and it is already feeling better, all I did was popped it back in, got a knee brace and a pair of crutches, do you think I will heel soon, or at least be able to fully bear my weight?
March 5th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Rob,

Hopefully you have seen, or will be seeing a physiotherapist. They are the professionals that will be in the best position to assess your situation and help you reach your end goal. As I have mentioned previously, I am a huge believer in the fact that everyone heals differently. The nature behind your dislocation may be a contributing factor to a speedy recovery, or it may not, it is all up in the air. Sorry to be a fence sitter here Rob, but the last thing I want to do is say “dude, you are totally going to be at full weight bearing status in a week!” and then a week goes by and you are no further along. =) Do the physiotherapy, do the stretches, and keep your mental energies focused on getting better. With that combo you should be on the road to a speedy recovery.

Stay strong,
Jonesy
March 5th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Robert Says:

Thanks! Yeah, I just started doing that thing where you walk around in the pool, and am on an exercise bike, but here’s the weird story of how it happened!
I was riding my bike, and for some reason I decided to get off of it, suddenly, my knee just stiffened and I fell over, I looked down and my knee cap was on the side of my knee, but still aiming the right way. I hope I will heel up good. (BTW I’m only 15.)
March 5th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Jonesy Says:

15, wow. I definitely think the resilience of youth will be helpful to you in this situation. And good for you for doing the recovery exercises, our bodies don’t magically heal themselves; there is some work required on our end as well. =]

Keep it up.

Jonesy
March 5th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Katie Says:

Hi Jonsey,

Just to let you know I had the operation and not much happened with it. Basically riddled with cancer of all kinds down the whole left side of my body.

I have good days and bad days. On bad days I can’t move at all and find it very hard to breathe. But on good days, like today I can sit up and the pain isn’t as bad as usual. Though these good days are getting further apart and less frequent.

Sounds bad on my part for loosing faith in myself, but I can’t help it. Doctors aren’t showing much hope at all.

I’d just like to thank you for your inspiring words over the past few weeks, they meant a lot.

Katie
March 15th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Jonesy Says:

Katie,

What can I say. I can’t even begin to imagine how you must be feeling, the pain you are enduring, and the emotional roller coaster you are riding. As always, your openness and honesty is amazing, and I thank you for that.

Don’t feel bad about the thoughts you are having or the feelings you are feeling. Own them, explore them, and use them as strengths instead of road blocks. Don’t let the doctor’s dictate your level of hope. They aren’t you, they aren’t your spirit, don’t give them that power over you. They can give you the logical facts behind the situation, but that is as far as it goes.

Your Hope is yours Katie, to do with it what you will. And one thing that has helped me in troubling times is to keep my day at a 24 hour focus. To dwell on the long term is futile, since i have no way of knowing what or how it will be. Today though, these 24 hours that I am existing in, are within my span of control. And what can I control, not other people, not current situations or events, but my actions and my thoughts. These I can control, these are mine to do with what I can for the day at hand. Tomorrow is tomorrow, and I will do it all again when that day comes. But what will I do with today?

Katie, I always fear that with my advice comes the looming reality that I am not in your shoes, and as such all that I say pales in comparison to what you are going through. My intention though, is to hopefully distract any negative thoughts you may be having, even if just for a brief instance, so that they don’t hold dominion over you.

Stay strong Katie.

Jonesy
March 15th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Michelle Says:

so I was scanning the internet for ways to strengthen the muscles in my leg after being in a straight leg brace for the past month and a half and I found this website.

Here’s my story:

I’m a 22 year old female who is usually fairly active at the gym and on February 3rd, 2010 I was in a body Combat class at the local gym and everything was going great, I’d done this class and these exact moves over and over again without any issues and absolutely loved it. But that night, something went terribly wrong.

I was just coming out of a jump-kick and when I landed my leg must have twisted or something because all I remember is hearing a loud crack and the next thing I knew I was flat on the floor, having hit a weight stand on the way down with my shoulder. When I looked down I saw that my right kneecap was on the outside of my leg…not where it’s supposed to be haha.

I think I shouted when I first went down, but I can’t be entirely sure because like I said it’s all a blur. I just remember being on the floor, shaking uncontrollably and crying. The instant I saw that my kneecap had dislocated I shoved it back in place all by myself…that wasn’t so fun and even made things spin for a few minutes.

I was on the verge of passing out because the pain was so extreme and one of the combat instructors told the other to come back and take a look at my injury. She knelt in front of me and was saying something and I was answering her questions without really even knowing what I was saying. It was pretty intense. All the while the class was continuing around me. Someone ran out of the room and came back with a personal trainer and one of the gym leaders to make them aware of the situation and to see if there was anything that could be done. The trainer said I was going into shock and then the combat instructor took off to call an ambulance despite my best efforts at protesting.

Meanwhile the trainer and another class member pulled me gently up and literally carried me out of the studio away from prying eyes which I was thankful for. I didn’t want the entire combat class to see me in a sobbing heap on the floor.

What happened after that happened so fast I can’t even recall all the details one minute I was being sat on a window ledge and the next the personal trainer was yelling at me to get my attention and then the paramedics came and ushered me off to the hospital where I was given amazing painkillers and put through a whole slew of painful x-rays.

My patella had dislocated, I also had a partially torn ligament on the inside of my leg and my ACL was damaged. My knee had swollen up to three times its size, maybe more and it was horribly painful.

I was slapped into a full leg immobilizer and sent home with a prescription for Tylenol 3 with codeine and the order to check back in with my family doctor a few days later. I did check in with my family doctor and he told me I had to stay in the brace for the rest of the month then come back to see him.

Well, I went back to see him the first week of this month and he said that the specialist had taken a good look at my x-rays and he had some bad news. I had chipped my patella and there was also a crack in the kneecap. They wanted to take more x-rays, but the knee was still too swollen to look at it properly and this was a month later!

Anyway, he told me that I need to stay in the immobilizer for the rest of this month AT LEAST, maybe more, it all depends on how it heals….

and this is where I’m at now, it’s a month and a half since the accident, I have ligament damage and a chipped and cracked patella. It’s amazing how a split second and wrong landing can completely ruin things so badly.

I have to stay in the brace for the rest of this month and then go back to my doctor to see what he says. Hopefully I’ll be able to slowly start getting back into the gym again because I’m having major withdrawal from the gym haha.

My leg outside of the brace is really weak and I still can’t fully straighten or bend my knee without pain.

Wow, this was longer winded than I had planned, but this entire ordeal is just frustrating and I’m NOT enjoying it.
March 19th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Cameron Harvey Says:

hi my name is cameron harvey i am 13 years old . i dislocated my knee whilst doing parkour / free running t it happened when i was training trying to do a back flip as i landed my knee cap dislocated i fell to the floor and shouted oh my god then said call an ambulance i laid there until the ambulance came and i was taken to A&E the doctor popped it back in and my dad was with me at this time . i am currently recovering with a soft cast on my leg and in 4 weeks will be doing physio therapy
March 26th, 2010 at 11:15 am
joyce b. Says:

i dislocated my patella too a month ago, and man i agree that the pain i felt was unbearable i started shouting until the ambulance came. the ambulance came after 20 minutes i felt like i was dying, my knee got numb because of the time waiting for the ambulance to get me to the hospital. im in recovery now i just finished my therapy but i;m still limping a little. and i don’t know if i’ll be waliking normally again.
April 17th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Sam Says:

hi
i was looking up physio for a dislocated knee cap because i was wanting to know what was coming in the future. i dislocated my right patella 3 times the first one i smacked it off the floor and it dislocated and i put it back in (i cheerlead) second time i planted and turned and it dislocated i put it back in, and the third time i landed my back handspring and moved to my next spot and it dislocated and i feel to the floor i was unable to push it back in. the ambulance was called i was taken to the emergency where it was still clearly dislocated (nasty) i screamed so much the securtiy guards came to see if i was mentally ill hahaha! no i was in so much pain. i was sedated and they poped it back into place. i dislocated my right patella once i did the splits and it poped out and i put it back in. its in my family history of dislocations lol. my mom dislocated her knees as a young girl like me. i was in a full leg splint for 10 days then i was using a knee brace which i still use and i dislocated it on the 12 of april. i had an appt with the orthopedict surgent and he said he dident want to do sugery because im still young (15) and very hyper mobile and hyper extend my legs when walking. i have “sloppy” knee caps on both knees and fixing it so my patella won’t dislocate to the out side of the knee will not fix the problem it will only make it dislocate to the inside of my knee. so i’ve started physio 3 days ago and i have most of my motion back. like you i have difficultly sleeping because i like curl up, and when i go up and down the stairs i feel a shaprp pain in my patella. i really like physio and im excited to get back to my normal self. i have had laser sugery and in a week or so i start active thearpy. because i am a gymnast and a cheerleader i am very high risk for another dislocation. thank you for sharing your story it has helped to let me know what i can expect in the weeks to come, when i was reading your articles i agreed so much on everything you said.

thanks so much

sam
April 29th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Ryan Says:

Hi guys,
I dislocated my kneecap while playing basketball 3 weeks ago. I am able to walk with a knee brace but there is still constant swelling at the knee… Does anyone have any tips to reduce these swelling?

Anyway after reading all of your stories i feel more hopeful on my condition and hope that i do not require any surgery..
May 25th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
kerry Says:

hi i dislocated my knee about 2 months ago now i was put in a cast for 11 days and was referred to physio.its been a month and abit and although physio has helped alot (walked in there with crutches came out without them) i still walk with a bend in my knee and cant do anything has restricted my alot i have totally lost my confidence!! am so angry and my confidence has dropped to an altime low i feel like ill never get better and need reassoring that i will.if there is anyone that i can have a 1-1 chat with that this has happend to and now is recoverd from it id be really grateful my email address it blazinbabe1993@msn.com thankyou x
June 8th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for commenting. For me, the key to reducing the swelling was to not be on it too much, especially during the earlier stages of recovery. Also, keeping it elevated, using cold packs, and taking advil (ibuprofen), worked as well.

Glad you were able to find some hope; trust me, it does get better. =)

Mark
June 12th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Jonesy Says:

Hi Kerry,

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I can fully relate to how you are feeling, as I am sure most of the people that have posted on this topic can; you are not alone in your recovery.

The physical recovery is often quicker than the emotional recovery. Having confidence in your own body takes awhile, you just have to be a bit more patient with yourself. When you put it into context with what happen it makes sense that your body will require some time to get back up to speed. As I have mentioned here before, it took almost a year for me to really start having confidence in the way my knee moves and what activities I can and can’t do with it, but I am firm believer that each of us recovers/heals differently. For you, it may not take as long, but trust me when I say that getting mad at yourself won’t help the situation. =)

The best advice that I can give you is this:
- think positively, see yourself getting better, see yourself taking confident steps, hold your head up high and know that with each day you are getting better and stronger
- continue your physio, any exercise machines should be low impact on your legs (bicycle machine or elliptical, not treadmill). If you do use the treadmill do it for walking only, not running.
- incorporate water therapy, go to the pool and walk around in water that is over your hips (this will help reduce gravity but still provide some resistance to your forward movement)
- don’t sit for prolonged periods of time
- remember to rest your leg, especially if you start noticing swelling develop
- stay positive and stay focused on your goals
- don’t get angry! =)

Hope that helps Kerry.

And please keep us posted with your progress.

Cheers,
Jonesy
June 12th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Sarah Denney Says:

Hi, I was out walking my dog 6 weeks ago and tripped over a branch in a meadow. As I fell my left leg snapped forward and I dislocated my knee, fractured my tibial plateau. tore acl,pcl,mcl,lcl ligaments. Didn’t feel pain as I fell. My sister screamed behind me arrgghhh your leg. I looked round and my leg had snapped the wrong way. I didn’t know if I was going to pass out or be sick. I turned over and my leg just flopped onto the ground and the pain hit me.
Waited for what seemed like forever for the ambulance but it was only a few minutes. They gave me morphine then went to A&E had painful x-rays and told me how serious this injury was but I was lucky not to lose my leg as 40% of people with this injury do!!!!! just for tripping over a branch!!

Was in hospital for 2 weeks, has knee reduced and in plaster from toes to thigh, had MRI and CT scans then had an operation to pin my knee and repair my meniscus ligament and had an external fixator in for 4 weeks. This was taken out last Friday and I now have a leg brace on and am waiting for physio.
I have been told that I will not walk unaided for over 12 months and that I will probably have a permanent limp and will need a knee replcement by the time im 50!! Im 36 now.
I have been doing leg raises and calf stretches at home while waiting for physio but can not move my knee much as it feels so tight. If I can not get much more movement in my knee may need an operation and down the line may need my cruciate ligaments reconstructed.
Have been off work for 6 weeks and will probably be off another 3 months if not more.
I am trying to be positive and work hard to get the knee bending but like others my trust has gone in my knee and worry that this will happen again.

I have been frustrated a lot and couldn’t stop crying but the past week I have turned a corner and just need to try and take it a day at a time and keep up with my excercises until the really hard work of physio starts.

This site has inspired me and hopefully the future will bring more positive thoughts and I can stay focused on my recovery.

Cheers,
Sarah xx
June 30th, 2010 at 8:29 am
mariam Says:

hi,

ive dislocated my patella… had to have surgery and everything. got my cast of 2day. my leg feels so light. i cnt move it that much…very frustrating. my pysiotherapy is next week. in the mean time i dont know what do to. my leg feels like its gna fall of. i dont know how long its going to take. =(
July 9th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Jonesy Says:

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story; and what a story it is! Wow, that is a lot of ‘cl’ tearing. =]. You definitely sound like you have your hands full with your recovery, but that seems to be expected with the amount of damage you have sustained. That being said, your mental state is in the right place. Compartmentalizing your recovery into 24hour chunks will definitely keep the stress down. Focus on what you can do for your recovery today. What progress can you make that will keep you moving forward. If all we do is sit and complain about our current situation then we will never move forward; we are ensuring that we will keep staying where we are and thus allow us to feel justified in continuimg our complaining. A vicious self propelled circle that leads to nowhere. Definitely not the place we want to be when we are trying to get better.

All the best with your recovery Sarah, I am glad mine and the other people’s similar experiences have been able to provide you with some hope about your current situation. Stay strong and stay focused.

Cheers,
Jonesy
July 9th, 2010 at 3:26 pm

My dislocation of the patella – physiotherpay and beyond

67 Responses to “My dislocation of the patella – physiotherpay and beyond”

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