The Patella is a small bone that sits right in front of your knee. It is type of joint that is particularly vulnerable for fracture. Direct injury by a fall or a motor vehicle collision in which the knee joint hits on the dashboard also result in knee cap fracture. As one of the leading orthopedic hospital in coimbatore, we get a large number of patients with patellar fractures
Patellar fracture is fairly serious in nature and can make bending or even straightening your knee exceedingly difficult. Simple patellar fractures can be treated with the help of a cast or splint but complex fractures in which the bone shatters definitely requires surgery and stabilization to stabilize the kneecap.
Patellar fracture symptoms:-
Pain and swelling are probably the most common cause of patellar fractures. Other reported symptoms of a patellar fracture include
1. The inability to straighten the knee joint or keep it straight while raising the leg
2. Inability to bear weight and walk
3. Bruising
However, stability shoes are strictly not recommended for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Some patients utilize insoles for stability, but recent research suggests that, these do not really work. Going barefoot helps with knee joint arthritis and low heeled flip-flops also are useful.
I hope you enjoyed this short article on choosing the right shoes for osteoarthritis. Keep watching this space for more interesting reads
In simple fractures where the pieces of the bone are not out of place, a surgery is usually not required. Your doctor may apply a simple cast to stabilize the knee joint and restrict mobility. The idea here is to keep the broken bones in proper alignment/position so as to help healing
The type of fracture will also determine if you can actually bear weight on your leg while you are wearing the cast. In the event your fracture is really large, weight-bearing will not be allowed for at least 8 full weeks. In case of simple fractures, weight bearing to a certain extent may be allowed
In complex fractures, where the pieces of the bone are displaced, you will probably require surgery. Since the muscles of the thigh are very strong, the pull exerted by the muscles can also separate the bones impairing normal healing. Complex fractures in most patients require immediate intervention.
Screws and pins combined with wires are usually used during surgery to fix the bone. Small plates may also be sometimes be used to fix the patella.
Painkillers will usually be prescribed after the surgery. Because the leg will be immobilized for a few days post surgery, the thigh muscles may weaken and the knee joint may become stiff in general.
Tailored physical therapy and rehabilitation will help speed up your recovery from the fracture. Maintaining a healthy diet, combined with regular exercise is usually all that is required for you to heal completely.
