Hunting After Patellar Tendon Rupture

[WVWill]

Yeah dude atrophy is awful It doesn't matter how strong you were before surgery it always seems to win


And no need to compare, I was just trying to to give some hope of a full recovery. What your going through sucks and it's ok for it to suck. Just keeping working on it and use hunting as motivation to keep going. How much longer do you have in physical therapy?

I’m definitely learning to “embrace the suck” when it comes to recovery. It’s a slow process, but I’m seeing good results. I’m taking it slow, but the more I’m able to do the more that I want to do more!

I will probably find out more about physical therapy at my next ortho appointment. I was under the assumption that it would probably go up at least to the 6 month mark, but I guess I could be wrong about that.

 

[Westensee]

Never done a knee ligament, but did rupture my achilles a couple summers ago. One thing I wish I would have done when it happened was to find the most aggressive, sports based PT around. By aggressive, I mean someone and somewhere that is returning high school and college athletes back to their sports. Where I started got me back to walking, which I thought was all I needed and wanted. Regret that now. I did find a great PT place, but about 10 months after the surgery and unfortunately have had a lot of work to do to get back to close to what it was. Likely never will and climbing in the mountains is just tougher with a weaker calf. Just really wished I had focused more on the PT.

 

[type2bowhunter]

Hey dude I sent you a message, but just wanted to let you know that I am about 6 months post op (surgery was 10/21) and I fully expect to be going on my local backcountry deer hunt this July (9 months PO). Today I found out that I drew a NM archery elk tag for December, and I can guarantee I'll be ready to go by then. Just keep working hard in PT 3-4 days a week and you'll have no problem getting ready for an elk hunt.

 

[WVWill]

Hey dude I sent you a message, but just wanted to let you know that I am about 6 months post op (surgery was 10/21) and I fully expect to be going on my local backcountry deer hunt this July (9 months PO). Today I found out that I drew a NM archery elk tag for December, and I can guarantee I'll be ready to go by then. Just keep working hard in PT 3-4 days a week and you'll have no problem getting ready for an elk hunt.

Hey, man! I didn’t see the message until you pointed it out! I’m at about 3.5 months post-op. My surgery was on 12/31. Those first weeks of pt were pretty tough, physically but even more so mentally! I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to have the strength to walk on my leg or not! Thankfully I’m doing a lot more now. No more crutches or cane, walking up steps and hills, range of motion is pretty much full at 130 degrees. The muscles are still atrophied, but definitely improving. I still get swelling in my ankle, and a little in my knee on longer days, but nothing I can’t handle. Once in a while I have a catch in my kneecap as I go down steps or walk downhill, but that seems to be improving.
Turkey season is coming in a few days, and even if I had to ride to the top of the hill on my side by side and crawl to the nearest tree, I would have been out there! I bought a set of trekking poles a few weeks ago to help with stability. I don’t know if I’ll use them both, just one, or none at all. I’m just glad to be able to walk and to get some of my life back! I need to get out and fling some arrows too. I don’t know if I have enough strength and stability to do a TAC event this year, but I’m thinking about giving it a try, if the improvements in my knee keep the same trajectory.

New Mexico archery?! That sounds awesome! I’m hoping to go to Colorado soon for elk (and maybe mule deer, if the opportunity comes), and I’m going to start looking into options in other states as well. From everything I’ve read and heard, all of the western states are getting pretty crowded.

The “bad” thing is, if I do happen to take a bull elk, I know I’ll be hooked, and want to go back again and again! It could be a pretty expensive addiction! Lol

 

[Backyard]

Completely ruptured my medial patellar while solo elk hunting one year. Had to get rescued. Never experienced pain like that before. But got it replaced with a cadaver tendon and was back out the following year.
You’ll be fine. Just do your PT and ROM exercises like they tell you.


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Correction: it was my MPFL, which is the side ligament, not the vertical tendon.

 

[WVWill]

They did the same with my repair—They used a cadaver tendon to strengthen the repair. ROM is nearly full. I’m at 130 degrees or more. Heck, I was sitting cross legged on the floor with the dog just a little while ago, and only felt just a little stiffness in the knee. The biggest issue is the atrophy. PT went well today, and my physical therapist said that I’m going to have to increase the weight of my ankle weights for the seated leg raises and more weight on the leg extension and curl machine.

I’ve been doing my exercises every day. I’ve stayed pretty motivated with Spring Gobbler season coming. My biggest concern right now is whether I’ll be able to easily climb and maneuver my way up into my treestands this fall, but that is way down the road from now. I guess for only being about 14 weeks out of surgery, I’m progressing pretty well.

 

[type2bowhunter]

Completely ruptured my medial patellar while solo elk hunting one year. Had to get rescued. Never experienced pain like that before. But got it replaced with a cadaver tendon and was back out the following year.
You’ll be fine. Just do your PT and ROM exercises like they tell you.


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I did mine hunting too. Fun club to be apart of.

 

[Backyard]

Not to sidestep, but I’ve been curious about this ever since. For those that have ruptured a tendon, have you previously had a cortisone injection at or near the spot? Even if it was years prior.


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[type2bowhunter]

Not to sidestep, but I’ve been curious about this ever since. For those that have ruptured a tendon, have you previously had a cortisone injection at or near the spot? Even if it was years prior.


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Nope. But I did have patellar tendonitis for about a decade before the rupture.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Lets start by saying I am 83 years old and I had a complete tear of the same tendon 2 1/2 years ago. I had a total knee replacement that was going very well and I was 4 weeks into pt when I slipped on some ice and suffered the tear. More surgery and my Dr was very concerned because of my age. Had a brace on the knee for 3 months that kept me from bending the knee.

The knee is totally good now, but the pt was a real bearcat! I have had 5 replacement joints (both knees and shoulders and an ankle) and this surgery was the most difficult and pt was very intense. I hike, hunt, walk several mile daily and lead a very active lifestyle.

 

[type2bowhunter]

Lets start by saying I am 83 years old and I had a complete tear of the same tendon 2 1/2 years ago. I had a total knee replacement that was going very well and I was 4 weeks into pt when I slipped on some ice and suffered the tear. More surgery and my Dr was very concerned because of my age. Had a brace on the knee for 3 months that kept me from bending the knee.

The knee is totally good now, but the pt was a real bearcat! I have had 5 replacement joints (both knees and shoulders and an ankle) and this surgery was the most difficult and pt was very intense. I hike, hunt, walk several mile daily and lead a very active lifestyle.

Good job old timer! Very impressive that you bounced back at that age.