What happens once the patella fractures or breaks?

A patella fracture is typically caused by an instantaneous impact to your knee. reckoning on the force applied, it’s going to produce a hairline crack, forced an entry 2 items or it’s going to forced an entry several little items. Patella fractures will cause the striated muscle mechanism of your knee to not operate properly. The extensor and sesamoid bone connective tissue attach to your patella, that ordinarily permits you to flex and extend your knee. The patella is roofed with animal tissue, that provides a cushion for your knee. The animal tissue are often dislocated with this kind of fracture, which might result in post-traumatic inflammatory disease.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of a sesamoid bone fracture area unit pain and swelling within the front of the knee. alternative symptoms might include:

Bruising

Inability to straighten the knee or keep it extended in a very straight leg raise

Inability to run

Outcome

How long it takes to recover when a sesamoid bone fracture can rely upon variety of things, including:

The severity of your injury

Whether your treatment was surgical or nonsurgical

The time required for rehabilitation

Most patients are ready to come back to their traditional activities among three to six months. For patients with severe fractures, the come back to activity might take longer.

Your doctor might counsel some fashion changes to assist defend your knee and stop future issues. this might embody avoiding activities that involve repetitive deep knee bending or squatting. rising stairs or ladders ought to be avoided, as well.

Types of Kneecap Fractures

The type of patella fracture depends on the mechanism and severity of the injury. It are often laid low with your weight and general health.

Displaced and Nondisplaced Kneecap Fractures

Nondisplaced kneecap fractures occur once the patella is broken however hasn’t got rid of of place.

In displaced patella fractures, the patella is broken and therefore the items of bone have got rid of of place.

Closed and Open Kneecap Fractures

A kneecap fracture is taken into account closed if the broken items of patella don’t pierce the skin.

In open kneecap fractures, the bones stick out of the skin, making a fancy wound.

What are the various types of patella fracture?

Stable patella fracture: in an exceedingly stable fracture, conjointly referred to as a “nondisplaced” fracture, the broken items of your bone stay basically within the right place. they will still be connected to every alternative, or they will be separated by a metric linear unit or 2. this sort of fracture typically heals well while not surgery. If your care supplier determines that you simply don’t want surgery, they’ll immobilize your knee in extension with either a knee immobilizer, a hinged brace or a forged. You’ll be allowed in-tuned the maximum amount weight as you’re comfy.

Displaced patella fracture: in an exceedingly fracture, your broken bone items are displaced from their correct position and don’t line up with one another as they must. These items typically got to be mounted with surgery so as to heal and permit your knee to perform properly.

Transverse patella fracture: A crosswise fracture may be a fracture wherever your patella breaks into 2 items. These breaks area unit typically mounted with surgery. varied surgical techniques will be accustomed fix these injuries. Your medico can decide that is best for you.

Comminuted patella fracture: in an exceedingly fracture, your bone has shattered into 3 or a lot of items. A fracture will be stable or unstable. once a fracture is unstable, a number of your bone items is also too tiny to reconnect and will got to be removed in surgery.

Open patella fracture: In associate degree break, your heal your bone has been broken. Either your bone items themselves have penetrated through your skin, or one thing has penetrated your knee from the surface. associate degree break needs prompt treatment with antibiotics and surgery to totally clean the wound. Open fractures tend to own a better rate of infection, thus it’s vital to hunt pressing medical treatment. Your medico can decide that surgical operation can best fix your fracture.

How can be a broken kneecap treated?

Two varieties of surgery is also done to repair a broken kneecap:

Open reduction-internal fixation (ORIF) surgery: The medico opens the skin and puts the broken bones back along side metal wires, pins or screws. Broken items of bone too tiny to be mounted area unit removed. If the kneecap is thus severely broken that it can not be repaired, it should be partly or whole removed.

After the bones are joined, the gap is closed, a sterile dressing is place over the realm and therefore the knee is place in an exceedingly forged or alternative device thus it cannot move whereas it heals.

Sometimes, particularly in patients UN agency area unit skinny, the wires, pins or screws will be irritating. during this case, the devices are removed once the kneecap has absolutely well.

Full or partial patellectomy: This two-hour procedure removes all or a part of the kneecap. If your medico finds that the break is simply too severe to repair, they’ll take away the broken items of bone.

The surgery preserves the extensor connective tissue higher than the kneecap, the sesamoid bone connective tissue below and alternative soft tissues round the kneecap. once this surgery, you may be ready to extend your knee, however the extension are weaker.

Once your kneecap has well, creating the muscles around your knee stronger will facilitate avoid more injury. taking part in contact sports or doing alternative activities that place stress on your knee will increase the danger of another injury to the kneecap. you must avoid these activities or use a kneepad to cushion the blow once taking part in contact sports.

Physical medical care, learning ways in which to spare your knee stress associate degreed strengthening and learning your leg muscles on an on-going basis will facilitate forestall a lot of injuries to the knee.

Your best exercise choices area unit low-impact and non-weight-bearing, like stationary bikes and sure muscle building programs, in order that the knees don’t ought to absorb shock.

Diagnosis of a knee fracture
Knee fractures are diagnosed in a physical exam and using an x-ray. In a more severe fracture, a CT scan or MRI may be able to give more insight into the extent of the injury. If you think you have fractured your knee, please visit Mercy Health ER right away.

Recovery from a knee fracture
Recovering from knee fractures is a slow process. During recovery, the knee will have to stay immobilized while in a brace. You will work with your orthopedic physician to determine when you can gradually put weight on the leg or knee. With treatment, a knee fracture will take six to eight weeks to heal.