Torn patellar tendon comeback

Mikedr

WKR
Joined
May 14, 2020
Messages
528
Location
Wetumpka, AL
Roksliders!
First off, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and different perspectives I get reading threads and spending time here. I’ve learned a lot, been steered in the right direction on gear, and glad that I found this site.
Now to get to my question. I just had surgery on my knee yesterday. I tore my patellar tendon and the doc said 6 month recovery time. I plan on giving PT my all and making a comeback because backcountry hunting is my passion. Has anyone else suffered the same injury and how was the transition back into hunting? I feel like I won’t trust my knee ever again, at least not the way I did. I’m a healthy 37 year old. I used to run half Marathons and worked out 5 days a week. If you have any tips on good workouts to get back into mountain shape and load bearing, please hit me up. Thanks!
 
I haven’t suffered through that. Just extreme tendinitis from college horizontal jumps and decathlon’s.. one thing I incorporated recently was beef gelatin. My tendons and ligaments feel better than they have since high school!


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I haven’t suffered through that. Just extreme tendinitis from college horizontal jumps and decathlon’s.. one thing I incorporated recently was beef gelatin. My tendons and ligaments feel better than they have since high school!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks for the input. I haven’t looked into some new things to add to my diet, but I will now!
 
Mikedr,
First of all, good luck with your recovery. I have rehabbed many of these over the yrs. Biggest piece of advice is to be patient and listen to your surgeon and PT. Unfortunately, 6 months is optimistic for return to mountain hunting. Your first three months will be primarily focussing on slowly regaining your knee mobility with little to no strengthening permitted. By that time, your quad will be extremely weak. You will then gradually progress to strengthening, with likely return to normal daily activities around 5 months. You should feel pretty good with your daily routine at 6 months, though typically, you will still be 30-40% weaker in your quad. It will literally take a full year to recover. By recover, I mean do anything you want without thinking about it. These surgeries are very successful, particularly in someone your age and with your active history. Best of luck. The recovery process will test your patience, but the outcome will be well worth it!!
 
Mikedr,
First of all, good luck with your recovery. I have rehabbed many of these over the yrs. Biggest piece of advice is to be patient and listen to your surgeon and PT. Unfortunately, 6 months is optimistic for return to mountain hunting. Your first three months will be primarily focussing on slowly regaining your knee mobility with little to no strengthening permitted. By that time, your quad will be extremely weak. You will then gradually progress to strengthening, with likely return to normal daily activities around 5 months. You should feel pretty good with your daily routine at 6 months, though typically, you will still be 30-40% weaker in your quad. It will literally take a full year to recover. By recover, I mean do anything you want without thinking about it. These surgeries are very successful, particularly in someone your age and with your active history. Best of luck. The recovery process will test your patience, but the outcome will be well worth it!!
Will do. Patience will be a hard thing for me to deal with. I appreciate the response!
 
OP, I know this is an older post, but seeing how I am 3 months into the recovery of a rupture I was curious to how your experience went. Have an Alberta Moose hunt scheduled to take place right at my 6 month anniversary of my injury/surgrey.

Thanks!
 
Sorry to hear about your injury! Rehab was tough and it took a lot of work to get my range of motion back. I have completed two half marathons and regularly workout in the gym since my injury. The knee strength/functionality is not quite what it used to be but I can do just about everything I want to do.
I ended up getting a decent amount of arthritis in my knee so it gets pretty stiff at times. What I have noticed, is if I stay active and workout, I do not get as stiff and feel a lot better.
I know the stretching and PT is painful but really work at it! I was able to pass a military PT test (not very difficult 1.5mile run) and get cleared for flying at 6 months. I wasn’t at a point that I trusted my knee though. It wasn’t very strong and I had some stability issues and soreness at 6 months. I started PT about a month later than I should have so you might be in a better spot than I was at 6 months.
I hope you feel like your knee can handle the hunt and you can get out there.
 
I’m very close in my ROM now to being full. Hoping to start jogging some in the next two weeks (I’ll be 16/17 weeks at that point). Good to hear you were able to complete the PT test. I’m a LEO and hoping to be cleared just before 6 months. It’s a humbling injury for sure.

Did you take/ notice any supplements that helped? I’ve taken Collagen, Fish Oils about 100 different alphabetized vitamins and creatine.
 
I’m glad to hear your ROM is coming back. Those stretches are no fun haha.
I’ve taken collagen and several different joint health supplements over the years. I’m sure they helped but I couldn’t notice a big difference. I even had a PRP injection which I’m not sure was worth it.
I will often swell up in that repaired
knee and it gets pretty tight and sore. The only thing that seems to help it is staying active. It can get sore and inflamed if I over do it, but it will also get tight and sore if I go on a long drive, sit around the house, or don’t go to the gym regularly. I’m constantly figuring out an optimal balance of rest, stretching, and strength training for my knee.
 
Former college football player here who ruptured my patellar tendon twice playing ball, and had most of the cartilage removed during surgery as well because it looked like "a frayed rope" so the knee is essentially bone on bone. Was told I'd never have any lateral stability, or be able to fully sprint/jump to the capability that I had during my playing career. That was almost 9 years ago, and today I have zero knee pain, can sprint, run, and jump nearly to what I was capable of during my playing days. I play pick up basketball and can dunk again, and have recently really gotten into running and ultramarathons. I attribute a lot of my recovery to Kneesovertoesguy and his training methodology. Lots of backwards walking on a turned off treadmill (or sled drags when I have access to it) and utilizing a slantboard for extra range of motion and emphasis on the VMO. Time under tension, and full range of motion, and when you're able to implement them without experiencing pain, introducing some form of plyometrics (jump rope, pogo hops, skipping, bounds etc).

I don't do the Athletic Truth Group training anymore, but the app and coaching are fantastic.

Best of luck!
 
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