BILATERAL QUADRICEP TENDON TEARS

Hi. 

 

I replied to your post before I read your full account.  What I see is, on one hand, your injury is much worse than mine, as I had only a quad tendon rupture on my right knee and your case is bilateral.  However, you are a young man--30 years of age--so your recovery will benefit from that.  You should take heart in that I'm going on 58 and my recovery has been effectively complete at 10 months and counting.  As you are a fire fighter, I'm preaching to the choir about the need for hard work and fitness.  My cycling for long distances was key in my ability to withstand pain, get into a tough recovery schedule and follow through.  You will do well and recover fully.  Of that I'm sure.

 

And thanks for all your service.  People like you are the best there are.

 

Ernie (Virginia Cyclist)

Hi.  My knee was swollen for about 10 days, and then after PT it would swell up for a few hours.  Immediately after surgery, it also bled for a few days.  The first 6 weeks stink.  Ern 

Just come across this forum whilst searching around for info.

Found the thread on quadriceps tendon rupture the best I have found and I have searched and searched the net.

I was going to tag on to the main thread to see if anybody had done the double and ripped both? I have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then found that at least one of you have done the double.

 

Mine occurred whilst as a friend described I was Stunt Fishing.

Slipped once on a steep wet river bank banging my left knee, tried to stand up and me and  they both went.

The journey back up the bank on my backside and using my hands to a place I could be found was an endurance test to say the least.

My accident was whilst we were camping near Hereford (UK). The famous SAS have their base there and I am sure they would of been proud, the pain or lack of from me knees was nothing compared to the nettle stings that lasted far beyond any post operation pain.

 

Had my op the same day just over 4 1/2 weeks ago, none weight baring in braces set currently to 90 I can do around 75.

The specialist said yesterday that after 6 weeks I will be partial WB using crutches still in braces for 2 weeks and then 2 weeks on crutches with my braces off.

Remember those outside the UK that we have public health services, the NHS, some good bits and some not so good.

One of the downsides is that because we don't pay they don't feel that have to tell us much or explain fully what is going on.

Find lots of conflicting advice is given, do this, don't do that, go to the pain etc.

 

Must admit I am crapping myself at the thought of crutches having done both legs.

I have looked on line as to how this is done egg a 4 point gait, however an Argentinian Tango looks easier to learn and do,

 

So anybody have and experience of the dreaded double who could help out?

Guess I am part of a club that has thankfully very few members?

 

Spend my days watching TV making my way through the DVDs of the Sopranos series, stretching and exercising every hour or so during the day and a good stretch in the early evening.

Now 5 weeks post op, I can do 3 sets of 10-15 reps of leg extensions on both legs, doing what I was told and concentrating on lockout. I rest my knees, one at a time on a 4 pack of Tuna tins wrapped in a towel, guess the dia is around 4". I bought a 6" dia + 30" hard foam roll and I can do extensions over a fuller range, all be it fewer as I have been told not to put too much strain on the repairs at this time. After reading a tip I mainly use the larger roll whilst working to increase my ROM, placing this under my knees and pulling it back towards me and slowly rolling it back up my hamstrings, this raises my knees and thus stretches them.

Last week the stand-in Doctor changed my braces, I had been wearing Breg. Whilst they are bit more comfortable as they are NHS issue they are a bit clunky have no mid stage lock off and I find the degree gauge difficult to read to assess what my current ROM is, I would guess around 75. Whilst I am not sure, I have reached my latest goal of being able to bend both knees and I can just about get the flats of my feet fully on my bed.

Also working hard on foot flexion and do hundreds of foot extensions using an exercise band as resistance.

Whilst I can do straight leg lifts I have been told not to do many at this stage, seeing the therapist today and will be seeing what I can do as I work toward standing and using crutches next week.

Whilst I am hacked off about my injuries, more than happy with my progress thus far.

Only problems I have is sleeping longer than 5 hours, I wake without pain in my hips and back, if I dose for another hours or so I wake with lots of pain these areas, this is of cause linked to having to sleep on my back. I am trying what I can to keep my hips mobile, small pelvic lifts etc and stretching my back, hamstrings etc by toe touching and holding.

Once I am awake and sat up the old bowels wake up quickly, thankfully not that fast that I have missed my allotted time. Must admit that I hate this time as I am stiff and in relative pain when I have to transfer from my bed to the commode.

Apart from my legs I am working hard on keeping upper body strength, ready for the dreaded crutches, using a collection of exercise bands, triceps dips in my chair etc.

Resisted turning to comfort eating and have if anything lost weight to make the next stage easier ( not that I was fat in the first place ) background of Martial Arts when younger then Body building to a national standard in my 30's I am now 53 and have continued to go to the gym 3 - 4 days a week. Currently around 225lb at 6' 2", admit that I have not trained my legs anywhere near how I used to, partly as I now work in an office and have to wear dress up clothes, I found buying trousers a real problem. Thinking that if I had have worked my legs more I would not have been in this bloody chair now. They have not found any underlying problems that may have contributed to the big ripp off and as we say in the UK 'I am as Fit as a Butchers Dog'.

Guess us that do the double now remain in a very small club?

 

Could not be happier with how my legs have began to recover, now 13 weeks post op's.

I have been weight baring for the last 6 weeks and out of the braces at week 8. Walking at first with two crutch for three weeks, one for one weeks and now on to a walking stick.

My ROM in both is now 110 degrees, with my right knee being slighty weaker of the two.

I have rehabed by DVD box set series and found that an episode ending was about right timing to do my next set of stretches, etc.

Thus far worked my way through the Suprano's, Band of Brothers and on the final series of Prison Break.

 

Only downside has been an F'ing DVT in my upper left thigh, serious pain 4 weeks ago and now on Rat Poison.

Feel ripped off by the Doc's as the likelyhood of getting a DVT is not far from Odds on and they don't warn you whats coming.

Following a DVT the chances of post thrombotic syndrome is again just about Odds on and they again don't tell you whats coming.

 

The DVT forums make very depressing reading but Hay I thought I would never walk again when I did the double.

Guess I will just have to live with a left balloon leg from now on.

Just found this blog. I'm 58 tear old male from upstate NY and I suffered a bilateral QTR on 10/23/2012 while on my normal trail run. No unusual event just the left foot down, exposition and crumpled onto the right side. I'm 5'6", about 155lbs and healthy. No real obvious reason. On hypertensive meds and a statin.

Had surgery the next day and now non WB for nearly 5 weeks. Expect that they will insist on at least 6 weeks and maybe 8. You folks do any active leg work while non WB? My surgeon wants only passive range of motion to 45 for now. I see him again this Friday and plan to push for some isometric exercises. Bored and losing muscle mass at an incredible pace. Feel like I have marshmallows for quads. Have otherwise done well with no dvt's, swelling or current pain issues.

Any suggestions/experiences rehab/expectation wise would be appreciated.

Researched the subject and found a massive difference in what to do and what not to do's.

I was originally told passive only, although this is difficult in reality, yer pull your leg (legs) up with your hands or with a band then how do you get them back straight?

Reasoned that if I could not directly work my Quads, I would try and keep the rest of me working and did every exercise I could without moving my Quads, too much.

I did hundreds of ankle foot pushes with bands as resistance, rolled my feet, wiggled my toes.

Clenched my butt, did part crunches, seated twists, tricep dips in my chair, band and small weight upper body exercise and still ended up with a DVT.

Things changed once I started seeing our local NHS physio's and having another appointment with a 'specialist' they were all for pushing me on after about 4 weeks.

The advice then was do what ever I could barring putting full weight through my legs, using pain as a stop point.

I did partical leg extensions even though I had a lot of should not do them and yes you can advice, straight leg raises with the same advice.

I was seen by another 'specialist' at week 6 who tested my leg strength with 'straight leg raises' and seen again at week 10 and asked to do the same tests.

I am now walking most of the time in the house without sticks etc, still need loads more quad strength that is coming slowly.

Even though I had tried to keep everthing else in some form of condition. I find that everday something else shows it needs work, for example my lower back will start and ache and then my lower abbs will ache.

Read a lot on inbalances and guess I will just have to wait until my quads get back to a level when I can trust them and then do more of what I can to strengthen all the rest.

 

In a nut shell do what ever you can without too much pain, I have been carefull not to push anything to much and risk another injury to for example my back.

Although I did strain my abbs by doing to much to soon. I have been constantly told to work on increasing my ROM and broke through the 110 degree point after 10 weeks or so.

It appears that this a mark of improvement the doc's like, however increases of ROM just kicks off another 'daily' period of re-adjustment of all the rest. 

 

Good luck and crack on.

Much appreciated. Have a conservative surgeon who I see tomorrow at 5+ weeks. Expecting ok for isometrics and maybe other non WB rehab. Am not expecting the ok to start initial WB for another 2-3 weeks when I assume the crutches with the mobilizer will start. That will be interesting as the legs, normally pretty strong, feel like mush.

You are right about this being a small club. I had both QTR's almost at the same time as well. I am getting a second opinion on my progress tomorrow from another orthopedic group. My injury happened back on June 9th, 2012. From day one, I was able to WB on both legs. Recently, I was told I was fully healed and ready to hit the gym as hard as I would like within reason. I have been cleared for all activity by my doc.

For some strange reason I can't straighten out my legs. Both legs will not straighten even when I am flexing all the way through. It does not seem like a strength thing but more of a limitation. It is the strangest thing. I can squat and press up from the 90 degree position with almost no problem, but I can't get my legs to straighten out to zero degrees. Has anyone else experienced this? I have had some folks tell me since I had the method where they drill the 3 holes through my patella and reattach the tendon slightly down on my patella that way that the mechanics of my legs will never be the same. My surgeon keeps telling me things will be alright in time. What is odd is that in a flexed position my leg will not extend to zero degrees unless I stop flexing.(My wife tries to pull my leg all the way out but it won’t go) It is if mechanically the leg will not function like that(extend to the zero position). This issue causes me major problems when walking. Often I get caught in the “zone”(I call it) where one of my legs is extended beyond its capable range of straightness and I fall or almost fall.

I will find out tomorrow what is going on now. I have had a new ortho place run xrays and MRIs’ on both knees. I will let you know the outcome. Seems not many surgeons have ever experienced a patient who has had this happen. I wish I could talk to someone. Please PM me if someone is out there. I need to talk.

Thanks

Folks, I found out yesterday that my Bi-lateral QTR's have not healed after 6 months. I am going to have them redone starting with right leg February 1st, 2013. My upcoming surgery February 1^st, 2013 will entail knee scope to determine any other underlying issues, tendon augmentation and reattachment, and possibly a knee replacement if deemed so post scope. I am not certain why my surgeon allowed me to do WB immediately following and up to 90 degree ROM iscometrics 2 weeks post surgery. My thought at this point is he was 100% incorrect. The only thing allowing me to walk at this point are the sutures holding my tendon to my knee and some scar tissue from the tendon to the patella. At least that is what I was told. 

 

In the interim, I am seeking the best Ortho Docs in the country to get a 3rd and possibly a 4th opinion. It is upsetting that my healing clock can't really begin until my next surgery. The one benefit is that I will make sure this time around to listen to myself a little more. I am also compiling a basic list of what to do and not to do. Maybe all you folks can help. So far, I have 6 items.

 

Please let me know how everyone is doing.

 

Happy Holidays to you!!! 

Friday I finally get to have my braces removed three months after surgery for a bi-lateral quadriceps rupture and really have no idea what to expect.  The braces have been at -10 degrees for the entire three months.  Other that standing leg raises of about six inches to the front, rear and sides, and toe raises, there has been no other physical therapy.  Will I be able to function without the braces immediately or will I need to be weaned off of them gradually?

 

Thank you!!!