Quadriceps Tendon Rupture, Repair and Rehab - Page 115

6 week 1 day post op.. Surgical site healed really well. still have some occasional swelling after a long day of moving around. weight bearing and walking(if thats what you wanna call it) without brace inside of house. Outside and at work still advised to wear brace which is set at 40 for rom today. I was told to move the brace an additional 10 degrees every week. The doc also wants me to rub and massage the injury area as often as possible. I was given some stretches and excercises to perform at home but no official order for PT. Doc said I can get into a pool but limit swimming with legs. The pool seemed to help a lot of folks on this site along with early weight bearing and stretches.. Im a Police Officer and Im in the Army reserves so this injury has literally put me on the sidelines but my ortho and pa gave me a shred of hope and some goals that I will meet head on. Im hoping to report to ft leonardwood for some training in the middle of August which is mostly classroom :)  So here is the Quap rip breakdown

 

42 year old male

playing basketball and injured during a attempt to dunk(no comment lmao!!!!) feb 28

surgery march 12 2012

back to er while experiencing the worst pain ever after nerve block wore off/ sent my bp through the roof until pain was managed/sent home with a handy little medicine ball that dripped pain meds through a cathiter and lasted a couple of days/ off pain meds after a week/pain free since.

March 26 2012 stapples removed still locked out at 0 in my brace/told i could weight bear

April 10 2012 brace moved to 30 for rom and PA stated she wanted me to be walking without crutches with the brace by next visit./worked on it for 2 weeks and proud to say im walking pretty good around the house in brace.

April 24(today) 6 weeks into this and my leg is feeling stronger everyday. brace moved to 40 degrees./told i could hang leg off of bed and aply light pressure to achieve 10 degrees weekly. next appointment not until 6 weeks from now. PA said I wont be running by august but he invisions me to be walking enough to be able to attend my Army school..(glimmer of hope and a real goal is set finnaly.

 

Overall a pretty good day today.. to my fellow quadrippers good luck in your recovery and to the new guys, stay in the fight! soon you will be at 6 weeks. once it gets going its a pretty fast ride.. This site is awsome..

Just a comment from a newbie - 2.5 weeks post surgery. I really appreciate to update reports form all you folks well into rehab. They give both encouragement and timelines that don't sound so bad. Since my live-in help leaves in two weeks, I am concerned about when I'll be able to drive - given my right leg is the injured leg. What has been other right legged Quads experience? I'm relatively pain free and wa

OB

 

there are some freaks of nature in here that start driving at 4 weeks lol. I live in a big city with bad traffic so at 6 weeks im gonna ride with friends for as long as i can. i actually can move my feet to the brakes and gas pretty well but getting that right leg in and out of my chevy impala was a task.. can i do it? probably. will i do it? probably will give it at least 2 or 3 more weeks or atleast until i get 60 or greater rom. good luck

r.e. driving.  I was lucky (If one can say that about snapping a QT) that my left leg was injured.  I started geting into my truck at 4 weeks,  Not too bad getting in because I have a bench seat with no console.  Once in, I could turn into the drivers spot and push my leg up underneath the dash.  Biggest help came at 5 1/2 weeks when the Doc let me unlock the brace to 30 degrees. That was much more comfortable anytime I had to sit.  Of course 30 became 40 and then I started walking around like that.  Doc was not happy bout that ...

More about the pain issue.

 

Trust me, I wanted every pain killer known to man immediately following the injury and surgery.  I have had more than my share of painful injuries and surgeries including quadruple hernia and later hernia redo surgery but the pain from my 100% quad rupture was over the top.  Once I got home though after a three day hospital stay I quickly dropped the pain meds.  I just didn't want whatever signals my body was sending blocked or distorted in any way.  My point is that I want to feel what's going on with my knee so I absorbed discomfort/pain at times during the first couple of weeks post op.

 

I am now at 9 weeks and discomfort/pain are not much of an issue although I really feel it when I reach my ROM edge.  What really freaks me out now is swelling after a long day at work and PT session.  The swelling bothers me far more than pain.  I now ice my knee every chance I get. 

 

I celebrated my 9 weeks post op today by doing all my routine leg rehab exercises, upper body with weights, and finished up with 15 minutes on the stationary bike.  To put that in perspective I couldn't get a full revolution on the bike a week ago so I'm making progress.

 

Anyway, the answer to the pain question lies somewhere between feeling no pain at all and putting yourself through unnecessary torment.   

Yeah also with regards to pain, I tend to agree don't cause any pain with ROM, but at 4 1/2 weeks at 30 rom, I said to hell with it, I agreed with the therapist inflict as much pain  I can tolerate without going crazy...in 1.5 weeks I went from 30 to 72....at week 6...in my case I was so tight that I think the issue had to be forced.

 

I am going to start driving now, I can drive with two feet, and I can get my right leg over to the break if necessary.  At week 7 the PT dude said they will probably open the brace for walking...you guys who walk at 4 -5 weeks or so just boggles my mind.  I don't trust my quad yet to do that...hopefully next week! 

 

you guys who are far along, does your bad knee resemble your good knee minus the scar?  at week 6 my knee is round with a pointy kneecap...hey as long as it works, but it would be nice to not have to be reminded of this small catastrophe when I look at it!

As far as driving, my surgery was on 12/1 and I started driving on 2/3, so it took me 8 weeks to get rough ROM to drive. I am taller, so I needed 90 ROM before I was able to get in the driver's seat.

The appearance of my right knee is starting to get closer to the left, but it's not there yet. I still get swelling, especially after heavier workouts. Icing helps greatly. I am at 70% on quad strength. I am shooting for 90% by August when I go back to see the surgeon.

I had a right quad tear and couldn't drive safely until about  8 weeks after surgery.

Had complete left quad tear and started driving at 4 weeks.  If it had been my right quad I think I could have driven at 8-9 weeks but would have been uneasy and probably unsafe if sudden action was required.

 

Now 9 weeks 1 day post op and got 119 ROM today.  Was really happy about that. PT told me I could be more aggressive on the bike and do the elliptical trainer.  Can't wait to get to gym in the morning.  :-)

 

Very uneasy walking down stairs.  Take one step at a time bad left first.  Maintain a tight grip on the hand rail.

Metalhead: I am 6 months from surgery and my surgical quad and knee still do not look like my good one. I work out every day on it....still cannot land run but it remains puffy tight, and swelled compared to the good side. I have not done much icing after workouts or take any Isoprophen....wonder if that would help.

13 weeks 5 days post op.  1 step forward 2 steps back...starting to hate this injury/recovery time.  PT this morning at 124 ROM but my knee is still throbbing from the PT 14 hours ago.  Last Saturday it didn't hurt much at all today it feels like someone hit it with a bat.  Oh well everyone says 12 months until normal...3 down 9 to go. 

 

I was driving 10 days post op with the brace on.  I rented a car where I could get in/out with my leg fully extended and fully extended sitting down.  Believe it or not after trying 10 cars the winner was a Nissan Cube...sure everyone at work was making fun of it/me but they are roomy and a 6'2" guy can fully extend his leg with a brace on the right leg in order to drive.  It worked well for me.  

Well 4 weeks post op here. I am at 72 ROM and my therapist wants me at 90 by 6 weeks. This will be a chore as the leg is very tight and just does not want to move.

 

My strength appears to be on course and I am able to do leg raises all three ways.

 

I was just given the go ahead to try walking in short bursts with the full leg brace locked at 0 and with crutches. Pretty strange sensation.

 

Fortunately I was driving at 2 weeks with the leg brace. I injured my left leg and I have an automatic. I drive a Tahoe that has a large front door that allows me to swing the foot in if I sit half way up on the consul.

 

I have an appointment to get a massage tomorrow to loosen up my back and shoulders. All that crutching takes its toll.

 

Steve

Did mine 3 weeks ago. Slipped down 3 steps in the snow. Loud crack and intense pain. Passed out.

 

Ambulance into town, kept in hosp. Op 24 hours later. Epidural and gas & air. Gas & air very much like a double gin and tonic. Could relax and watch the op as though it was a little party going on! Saw them drilling the knee cap and sewing etc. 

Brace at 0 degrees and sent home after one more night in. 

UK NHS brilliant, all completely free, but the food is appalling and you do get long waits.

Back to adjust to 30 degrees 3 days later, then 60 degrees at 2 weeks, to be 90 degrees at 5 weeks.

It gets distinctly better day by day and a feeling normal now after 3 weeks, except for hobbling about on crutches and wheel chair.

Thought I'd manage without pain killers as far as poss but soon gave in! It's like being bitten by a large dog which won't let go. By week 3 it's the same dog but with no teeth!

 

I'm a fit 67 yr old cyclist, mountain climber etc. I guess the cycling will be good for rehab as you can ease off on one leg as necessary, but this will be some weeks away.

 

Good to read this site. Very reassuring so far!

Just more comments about this ROM stuff that has become my primary focus in life, I am at 6 1/2 weeks out, after listening to TexasDiesel and spending about 3 hours a day stretching, I am at 80 degrees.  To get from 23 degrees to 80 now over 3 weeks, every degree I had to stretch to the onset of pain, and hold it.  It eventually loosens. 

 

What it comes down to is I have to deal with borderline bearable pain, tolerable but man is physically and emotionally exhausting. If i just stretched it with just discomfort I don't think I would get ROM.

 

What I notice is if I stretch for a while, then try to walk, my leg can't do it without warmup.   If I walk for awhile, leg feels great, but then to do some ROM it starts at like 50 and has to be stretched for a few minutes to get to 80.  I hold my gains however when I get them. 

 

I would be up for a new procedure where I get a punch in the face to knock me out, and have someone else crank on this leg for me.  No one told me about this, I am not cut out for this, I have no patience. 

 

So what happens when the brace is opened up to 30 and you guys tried to walk?  I am just afraid I am going to fall over like a sac of potatoes. 

 

I have been walking captain ahab now for 7.5 weeks total since injury, the doc is supposed to unlock the brace soon.  I hope so because if this goes on much longer I am going to need hip replacement also.

Week 3, brace set at 60 deg. Not comfortable actually stretching it to 60 but I've got 2 weeks to go so I'm sure it'll be easy by then.

I haven't been told to do anything particular in the way of PT, just to not put any weight on it. But just moving about on the crutches or getting in and out of bed seems to stretch it and ends up being fairly tiring. I also bowl around in a wheel chair which keeps my arms active!

Other people seem to be doing more than me but I'm going to take it fairly easy.

 

Hi everyone,

After flying off the stage at my church! I tore my quad tendon and the journey begins::

I'm 6 ft 320lbs I been working out for years I was squatting more than 500lbs, leg pressing prolly double that. So when the doctor said that was one of the main contributors to my injury I couldn't believe it..... The worse thing about this is no sports working out or driving for months my Ortho. Says!! I too had the same quad tendon surgery on Tuesday , April 24. It's been a few days and I been weight bearing since day 2. I've been reading all these blogs posts for like 3hours and wow everybody's recovery is different. I hope mine is fast this laying in bed is very hard for me. I go to the doctor or the 4th of May I will keep everyone abreasted on my recovery blessing everyone.

9 1/2 weeks post op:

 

• ROM yesterday 126 degrees.  Improvement coming more rapidly now.  A month ago getting to 66 degrees was so painful I almost threw up.  Each PT session I gain between 5 and 10 degrees.  It took me weeks to get full revolution on stationary bike and now no issues.  Will try elliptical today.
• I wear a knee sleeve whenever I am up and around.  The sleeve makes a big difference.  It not only gives some support but it also provides enough compression to counteract swelling. 
• Icing is really important.  Do it every chance you get.
• Hang in there.  It really does get better but don't try and be a hero especially during the first six weeks.  Do too much too soon and you are screwed!

 

Okay, it's off to the gym I go.

Newby. Surgery Thursday, April 29. Complete QTR while hiking The Wave in So Utah. Splint on rt. leg made of trekking poles sections and adhesive tape. 2 miles back to trailhead. No cell phone reception.

Flew back to Rochester Mayo Clinic (hometown) next day.

Glad to find this forum thread. Already has helped me understand better what happens in a QTR and what I can look forward to in recovery/healing/PT phase.

I'm mostly a cyclist: road, mt, leisure. 68 yrs old. Also ski usually ten days in Utah on vacation, 10 days at local resort.Been active all my life. Hope to retire in another year or so. Counting on good recovery so I can spend more time skiing, biking, traveling when retired.

 

Am new to online forums, but think I'll have time to learn.

Looks like we have the same surgery date. Might be fun to compare recovery notes along the way.

Just noticed I mentioned April 29 as surgery date. That's tomorrow! Meant 29.

meant 19!!!!

skip intro

 

your rom rehab seems pretty aggressive. im at 7 weeks post and im just now permitted to adjust my brace to 50 degrees. ive been weight bearing since day 2 after surgery and taking steps at around 4.5 weeks. still havent gotten any PT other than what im suppose to be doing at home. i feel like my knee is capable of more rom but i was told if i over achieve rom then im doing too much. lol..im curious is this aproach working for you? im kind of fed up with the passive stuff..

 

 

I'm  67 and mostly cyclist too. Had to cancel our three weeks cycle touring in Puglia, all booked and organised! Would be there now but instead I'm in a wheelchair. Oh well.

The good news is that now at 3+ weeks I'm beginning to feel normal and less of a traumatised accident/operation survivor. Leg also feels progressively more normal each day.  I'm catching up on my learning Italian for when we finally get to Puglia!

Please watch the following explanation and illustration of quad tendon tears, the repair and rehab timeline.  It is the best I've found so far.  I found it very helpful as I adjusted to my complete tear of my LQT and the rehab process I'm going through:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh2NXTbMkEA

 

 

Hi bikerboyz1000

 

Interesting. It doesn't feel too aggressive and I am taking it cautiously. When adjusted from 30 to 60 (at day 14, 10 days ago) I certainly couldn't reach 60 but I can now and expect it to feel quite OK before they adjust to 90 (11 days to go).

Maybe your injuries were different from mine? Surprised you were weight bearing so soon.

Me too fed up with being passive - no weight bearing at all until week 5 and then only partial until week 10. I'm OK on crutches but not too far, and have wheelchair in the house.

I bought a mobility scooter on ebay. I had a dream it was a Vespa scooter and I was giving a lift to a nice Italian girl sitting on the on the handlebars! Dream on!

 

 

skipintro, bikerboyz, and the man TexasDiesel;

 

these doctors are all over the place with ROM.  My dr wants me at 90 by week 6, meanwhile other doctors go much slower and more conservative...

 

Listening to my Dr, and TexasDiesel.  Those wall slides are probably the single most important thing to getting my ROM back.  You can stay against the wall for hours and hours stretching and stretching....I watched any two entire movies in that position...Sometimes I keep it at a position of just where the pain becomes unbearable for 30 seconds, sometimes I hold an uncomfortable stretch for 5-10 mins....it is working my leg is loosening up.  I was stuck at 80, I am almost at 90 over 3 sessions...verry slow, but have to put the time in.

 

My leg is super tight, it has been almost as 4 week struggle to go from 23 to 85...have to keep wall stretching...

Excellent! Thanks for the link.

Week 3 1/2

http://www.epicski.com/t/66016/quadriceps-tendon-rupture-repair-and-rehab/3390#post_1457433

Yes wall stretching sounds good. I've been doing the lazy version - on my side in bed and folding the knee as far as I can and just resting it there. I suppose this is where the pills help - you can bend your knee beyond the point where it would hurt without the drugs. Or is this a bad thing?

Also I've been walking about with my crutches and lightly touching the floor with the bad leg foot. 

Skip intro;

 

   you know that is not a bad idea, pain killers when doing this leg stretching.   My PT said thats the way the cookie crumbles, your very tight you going to have to take pain.  I have been doing this stretching for almost a month now without any pills and this pain ritual is starting to take its toll on me.  About pain, I stretch my leg to where I can hold it for ten seconds then have to slide back up because I can't take it anymore...I do that a few hudred times a night.  I bet if I loaded up on oxycodone maybe the process would be faster.  My leg is hurting just from typing about this.

 

It almost seems like this process could go faster and less painful if there were sessions where the dr numbs your knee up, and cranks on it...maybe that is dangerous to the repair, pain tells you when to stop, but you have to bust through it to get ROM. 

 

I am too chicken to walk without the brace on crutches.....I just put on the brace locked at 0 and can walk fairly easily.  My hip has adapted to the stress, although it cannot be good for it.  I am at week 6 1/2, I hope I can walk with a little leg bend soon, I am just worn out.

For the new folks . Some practical suggestions - things that have mad life much easier. First, using the can. I was concerned with sitting down smoothly. I thought of installing hand rails next to the toilet. Looking for the rails at Lowes, I found an excellent solution. They sell a temp rail device that attaches using the toilet seat bolts. It provides two sturdy rails on either side. Best of all it only cost $39.00. "Home Care by Moen Toilet Safety Rail". I also use a six inch high block under the foot of my injured leg.
Secondly, a better crutch. A friend recommended Mobilegs Ultra, found at Mobilegs.com. Using a coupon from their website I got a pair for $99.00. What a difference their design makes for comfort and function. Went from hating the old ones I had to being very comfortable using these. Look at their web site and you will understand why.
It sure is interesting how different doctors approach the first six or eight weeks. From the start mine has had me fully weight bearing as long as I was comfortable. Others, say their doctors say no weight bearing for the first month or more. At three plus weeks I walk (well hobble) around the house with no crutches. Yesterday I spent 2.5 hours putting together a new BBQ in the garage, not using crutches. My knee began to tell me to sit down, so I did. I'll finish the project today.
I envy those starting ROM at 3 or 4 weeks. I won't be starting until six weeks, or so.