broken patella? no, not me

[surgtech1956]

mimitabby. When the patella is split in half, they usually just wire it back together. The only problem with that is you usually feel the wires under the skin and its annoying. Sometimes they remove the patella, and replace it with a prostesis. They don't like to remove the patella because you tend to have problems with tracking(the patella slips to one side). I fell at work off a lift onto my right knee(5/06) and had an incomplete patella fracture(just split in the center), mine just healed on its own. From my fall I had bruising in the patella-femoral joint - which I still have. Was your mother's knee flexed when she fell? They should have had someone from the PT department come down and show her how to use the walker. I would assume that's where it would have come from in the first place.

[mimitabby]

Hi Surgtech and Knot
My mother really didn't want crutches, it didn't work at all when she broke her heel 10 years ago (on the other leg)
no one knows what position she was in when she broke the patella though.

while we were there, she demonstrated going from the sofa to the bathroom. AGH, what a slow painful process. yes, it's really hard when you can't balance. She wanted ME to tell her how to do it. And i'm clueless!!! raleighdon being more of a natural expert (and someone who has had several surgeries on knees and so knows what it's like to have only the ability to bear weight on one leg) was giving her pointers. She did get a nurse on the phone, who told her that when she calls tomorrow she can get someone to come out and help her. godforbid if you hurt yourself on a weekend! in a major metropolitan area!!!!!!!

[surgtech1956]

I hated crutches. A friend gave me a cane - that was my best friend for awhile. Hopefully your mother can get into an Orthopaedic Surgeon quickly and fixed quickly. Everything happens on the weekend. Keep us posted.

[mimitabby]

last night my mother figured out how to use the wheel chair. She had to go to t he bathroom several times during the night; and as you know, necessity is the mother of invention. She didn't want to do the walker thing, it was just too scary. This morning, she's sitting at the table eating breakfast armed with a huge list of phone numbers that she's about to call. Doctors, nurses, etc...

thanks everyone; Knot, my mother felt very validated by your comment.

[OakLeaf]

no help, just adding my hope for her to get the proper ambulatory aids ASAP... and to heal up quick!

[mimitabby]

so, of course nothing is ever as simple as you expect.
The PT lady came and had a fit. She said that my mother should be in a nursing home. Her husband is in NO WAY able to help her when she's needing to go anywhere on steps, he's too weak.

And her leg has swollen up hugely, so she's going back to the doctor today, lucky to have gotten an appt. The PT lady said it's not supposed to swell like this. so maybe something else is going on?

And she might be in a rehab facility SOON.

[Geonz]

Welp, hopefully rehab folks will **know** things!!! Hugs at all of you!