Fracture of the patella: consequences

The patella is part of the knee joint. The bone is located above the joint and performs protective functions. Medical practice rarely notes damage to the patella, but when it happens, it immediately becomes clear how important this area of ​​​​the leg is. The recovery period of the patella is long and persistent. Rehabilitation is carried out by complex therapy of a displaced patella fracture.

Rehabilitation after a fracture of the patella

Different types of damage require the use of different therapeutic measures during the recovery period.

With the simplest damage with a slight displacement, the patient will quickly return to his usual way of life. The more complex the fracture, the longer the rehabilitation will be and the more effort is needed not only for doctors, but also for the patient to restore the leg to work.

In the case of severe fractures, the rehabilitation process is the same crucial stage as surgery, where the fragments were collected into a single whole. The patient will have to perform systematic exercises over a long period of time to restore mobility to the joint so that it can bend and unbend.

Causes of the fracture

The patella and joint are often damaged. Many factors cause leg injury:

• In ordinary life, the knee joint bears the weight of the body. Constant load leads to a violation of the integrity of the bones;
• Car accident. Often in an accident, people break their legs, including the joint;
• Sports activities;
• A fall. Even falling from a height of his height, a person can damage the knee bones if it was unexpected.

With age, bone and cartilage tissues are destroyed, the risk of fracture increases. It is noted that women most often go to the hospital for bone damage.

Types of damage to the patella

In medicine, there are 4 main types of injuries of the patella and knee joint. Attributing the injury to one of the types depends on the force that arose during the collision of the knee and the surface, the features of the structure of the bones, the presence of pathologies.

1. Bone injury occurs as a straight fracture. There are no fragments and displacement. The simplest therapy, recovery is fast. The body regenerates bone on its own with minimal intervention. A fixing bandage is installed to prevent the bones from moving;
2. The integrity violation occurred with an offset. Rehabilitation after a fracture of the patella will take longer. It will be necessary to restore not only bone tissue, but also nearby soft tissues, muscles, nerve fibers;
3. Damage to bone tissue with the formation of fragments. Inside there can be both small and large fragments. If there are many fragments and they are too small, then the surgeon is not able to assemble such a joint, then prosthetics are made and replacement takes place. When an artificial joint is placed, a period of learning to walk begins for a person;
4. An open fracture is characterized by damage not only to the bone, but also to the skin. There is a risk of infection of the wound, the development of inflammatory processes.

Depending on the severity and complexity of the patella fracture, the consequences lead to either a quick recovery or learning to walk again.

In any case, the damaged joint is firmly and immovably fixed. Immediately after the fracture, a special device is applied, then a plaster cast is placed on top. The leg is extended so that the bandage can fit snugly over the joint and fix it. For a person, such a position of the lower limb is unnatural. In this state, it will be from a month to a month and a half. The gypsum is applied not only to the site of the injured knee, but also affects the femoral joint.

Complications may occur during treatment and rehabilitation. Blood clots can form in the blood vessels due to the immobility of the leg, the muscles atrophy due to being at rest for a long time. Tendons and ligamentous apparatus lose their functions. The patient is worried about a constant pain syndrome, characterized as aching, especially manifested when the weather changes outside the window. Articular diseases can also develop for various reasons. It could be an infection or inflammation.

Recovery methods

With a fracture of the patella, rehabilitation can last from one month to 6 weeks. If a displacement occurs during damage, then a special fixing bandage is applied to the leg and the recovery process takes longer. Also, this type of fracture requires the patient to be patient and persevering, since in order to obtain results, it will be necessary to perform exercises after removing all bandages.

The rehabilitation period at home is not possible. There are several ways to develop a knee after a patella injury. Methods involve the use of all methods that cannot be repeated at home. What orthopedic surgeons offer as the main methods for bringing the knee back to normal:

• gymnastics, which allows to provide therapeutic effects;
• visiting a massage room;
• procedure using medical devices;
• exercise therapy;
• The use of reflexology. The treatment is aimed at influencing the active points of the human body;
• Use of appliances;
• The use of simulators specially prepared for patients with fractures of the patella;
• Drug therapy and vitamin complexes;
• Diet food.

The patient should have a desire to recover as soon as possible. To return the leg mobility, as before, you need to do a lot of work. If the leg is not practiced, not developed, then stagnant processes will appear in the blood vessels, the muscles will atrophy. The pain syndrome will accompany constantly. The patient is also at risk of disability.

Recovery steps

Exercises, exercise therapy and other manipulations with an injured leg are carried out only with the permission of a doctor. The sooner restoration work begins, the sooner the knee will be able to perform its basic functions. This means that the execution of movements begins when there is a fixing plaster cast. Every day, the loads should become longer and more difficult.

The main thing that needs to be adhered to is constancy in classes and perseverance. As for children, young bones fuse much faster. Because for them, the rehabilitation period flies by quickly.

In adults, overgrowing of bones and restoration of mobility takes longer, but persistence is needed so as not to give up classes. In the orthopedic medicine department, there is a division of the rehabilitation period into three stages. As the patient advances in their achievements, their first stage passes into the second, and from the second to the third.

Therapeutic exercise is the main and main occupation in the recovery process. The event takes place under the strict supervision of a doctor. The rest of the procedures are optional. A technique using exercise therapy has recently been developed. Its effectiveness has been noted by many.

The division of therapy into stages allows you to competently approach the issue of treating a fracture.

At the first stage or initial, the patient is independently engaged in training. In this case, the leg continues to be in a plaster cast. Whole leg training starts with toe mobility. You need to move them, bend, unbend. As mobility increases, switch to rotational movements of the foot, development of the gluteal muscle.

After the plaster is removed, the leg is developed by a specialist using exercise therapy.

At the second stage, therapy begins 7 days after the removal of the plaster cast. The load should be given to both healthy and injured legs. Classes are becoming more difficult, the position of the body changes during the exercise. The patient is salted, turns over. Gymnastics starts with simple tasks with gradual complication.

Third stage. The patient was discharged from the medical facility. Independent movement is possible with the help of crutches. The exercises are getting harder, you need to walk more. If the movement goes up the stairs, then use the side step. Also, gradually begin to perform lunges, squats, try to raise your legs as wide as possible. Rehabilitation takes up to 6 months. The rehabilitation process will have results and effectiveness if the introduced rules are observed: diet, medicines, exercise therapy, massage room.

It is not difficult to break a knee, it is much more difficult to restore it. It takes months, it is not always possible to fully restore functioning, you can move. Often seen in athletes. When choosing a recovery method, look at the complexity of the defeat. Timely detected fracture of the patella and disruption of the joint, allows you to choose the right direction of therapy. During the rehabilitation period, the main goal is achieved - the mobility of the knee.

Video: Gymnastics for the knee joint