Quadriceps Tendon Rupture, Repair and Rehab

[Zukes243]

Today was a milestone. I rode my 10 mile bike loop that I have wanted to do since my injury in February! It felt like I was going to climb Mount Everest but I took my time and stayed determined. I had one minor issue on the ride, I got frightened by traffic that was too close to me on a curve. I ended up on the soft shoulder but made a nice recovery and kept pedaling!

I managed to stay in the 70% to 80% heart rate zone for the ride. Still a little nervous about getting off the bike and pushing off but getting more confident each time I ride.

Six weeks ago getting to ride the bike was a dream. Today it was real.

 

[davkt]

First real bike ride for me today. https://www.strava.com/activities/1135073448/embed/fb3ebac1e21bbb4c0c7782ded4693e7648b19511
31 ish flat (for here, only around 100 of up) taken slowly (it was my 13year old daughter's first long ride, so she set the pace and chose when to stop but my knee was happy with her desicions, and she made the ride around 8 miles longer than we had planned) but great to out and about again! The entire route was on a disused railway line that is now a hiking/cycling/horse riding trail but unlike most folks on there we both did it on our road bike, mine a modern CX/gravel bike, Chloe's a vintage Mercian hand built touring bike.

 

[Zukes243]

At the 6 month mark from surgery. Good news is I am back on my bicycle. Knee is still stiff but getting looser each day. I can walk up and down stairs using the railing and being deliberate in my steps. My walking is close to normal. ROM is in the 120's still improving. Only 4 PT sessions left!

The negatives...still trying for better balance, after sitting for too long it takes me a few steps to get my legs under me. My energy level is better but still not where it was pre injury. The knee needs more strength!

 

[davkt]

I'm still getting better by the day, last week we were on vacation on the south coast of England, in packing the car I managed to leave my crutches behind so an enforced weaning off them! I did pick up a walking pole from a sports store but using that was averaging around 12K steps a day using that and getting into spots that would be making my physiotherapist nervous while exploring rock pools with the kids. Also managed a few km of sea kayaking, good exercise which puts zero strain on the trashed leg.

 

[The Last in Lin]

I'm still getting better by the day, last week we were on vacation on the south coast of England, in packing the car I managed to leave my crutches behind so an enforced weaning off them! I did pick up a walking pole from a sports store but using that was averaging around 12K steps a day using that and getting into spots that would be making my physiotherapist nervous while exploring rock pools with the kids. Also managed a few km of sea kayaking, good exercise which puts zero strain on the trashed leg.

Sounds like you're getting back to something like normal.

 

[davkt]

Yep, my knee is still a bit weak, gets sore and tiered easily and doesn't feel quite right but certainly getting back to normal and with some hard work in the gym will be fine for the sailing in Feb.

 

[Zukes243]

After nearly 6 months of PT I am down to my final 2 sessions. The knee is getting stronger and moving is much easier. Biking has been really good and good for my knee. I'm a little nervous being tossed out of the nest but hoping the recovery continues. I'm still not at 100% and the knee needs to get more muscle mass back!

Davkt i concur with you in that I am hopeful the weakness and soreness will disappear!

 

[Zukes243]

This group is being too quiet....we need to hear from folks to offer some encouragement and support!

I was "paroled" from PT last Friday! They felt that I was ready to leave the nest and I would keep improving by doing bike riding, walking, squats and stretches. I have also started using my Spin bike again on rainy days.

What do I notice.....I still walk like Frankenstein when I first get up for a few steps. Some of my old shoes are not comfortable to wear anymore. I still have some numbness in my foot of the injured knee but it is very gradually lessening. My ROM is at about 125 right now but it is improving....some day I will put socks on easily and be able to cut my toe nails without stretching....my stamina is coming back, standing is less tiring and the big thing is that I can stand up while pedaling up hill on my bike....


OK let's get some updates from our fellow quad sufferers!

 

[The Last in Lin]

This group is being too quiet....we need to hear from folks to offer some encouragement and support!

I was "paroled" from PT last Friday! They felt that I was ready to leave the nest and I would keep improving by doing bike riding, walking, squats and stretches. I have also started using my Spin bike again on rainy days.

What do I notice.....I still walk like Frankenstein when I first get up for a few steps. Some of my old shoes are not comfortable to wear anymore. I still have some numbness in my foot of the injured knee but it is very gradually lessening. My ROM is at about 125 right now but it is improving....some day I will put socks on easily and be able to cut my toe nails without stretching....my stamina is coming back, standing is less tiring and the big thing is that I can stand up while pedaling up hill on my bike....


OK let's get some updates from our fellow quad sufferers!

How far along after surgery are you?

 

[Zukes243]

Today is 7 months PO...The surgeon does not want to see me unless I have questions...he told me at 12 months I will feel more normal and not to get discouraged in the meantime!

I have two friends who had the same injury, one guy was bilateral....it has been five years for both and they told me they still have stiffness in their knees after sitting for a long period of time. Their other observation is that they are always on alert for potential falls!

 

[LuceLight63]

Today is 22 weeks PO for me. I have had full ROM of 130d for about 4 weeks. Focusing on building strength and stretching out the elasticity. Doing squats lunges single leg deadlifts. Jogging up and down hill. Daily walking helps a lot. I can climbs stair two at a time with minimal tightness above the patella. Downstairs is still surprising less smooth. I think however that there is a mental element given that is how the injury happened. I find it helps to aggressively massage the knee nightly using a small roller or ball. Seeing the physio now only once every 10days. He does IMS that releases tension in my quad and calf. By all accounts it seems the it will be a year before the leg is back to normal. We all just need to remain healthy obsessed with our fitness strength and flexibility. I think we can all agree that it Is indeed an obsession...... stay positive and recognize where you have come from. We are a long way from those weeks in the brace!

I wonder why this forum is not attracting people you have more recently suffered this injury. They are who we need to be liven this up.

 

[The Last in Lin]

Today is 7 months PO...The surgeon does not want to see me unless I have questions...he told me at 12 months I will feel more normal and not to get discouraged in the meantime!

I have two friends who had the same injury, one guy was bilateral....it has been five years for both and they told me they still have stiffness in their knees after sitting for a long period of time. Their other observation is that they are always on alert for potential falls!

Stiffness isn't guaranteed. At 2.5 years I usually can't tell one leg from the other when doing every day tasks and no stiffness when sitting for long periods or upon waking up. The big things I notice is the quad and knee are shaped differently. However, I still plan my descent down steep slopes and wet or potentially slippery steps though.

 

[The Last in Lin]

Today is 22 weeks PO for me. I have had full ROM of 130d for about 4 weeks. Focusing on building strength and stretching out the elasticity. Doing squats lunges single leg deadlifts. Jogging up and down hill. Daily walking helps a lot. I can climbs stair two at a time with minimal tightness above the patella. Downstairs is still surprising less smooth. I think however that there is a mental element given that is how the injury happened. I find it helps to aggressively massage the knee nightly using a small roller or ball. Seeing the physio now only once every 10days. He does IMS that releases tension in my quad and calf. By all accounts it seems the it will be a year before the leg is back to normal. We all just need to remain healthy obsessed with our fitness strength and flexibility. I think we can all agree that it Is indeed an obsession...... stay positive and recognize where you have come from. We are a long way from those weeks in the brace!

I wonder why this forum is not attracting people you have more recently suffered this injury. They are who we need to be liven this up.

I think the previous forum had 8 years of search engine activity and possibly a more active parent forum to drive new injury sufferers to post. A google search for "quad tendon rupture forum" yielded this forum as the 6th or 7th result which is encouraging.

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...0...1..64.psy-ab..1.1.232.6...232.clvEk53ITeE

 

[Judy adams]

I am a little over 6 months post-surgery. I am the same as Zukes243 in that I walk like Frankenstein for a few steps after sitting for a while. I am walking 4 to 5 miles every other day pretty fast and easily, riding the Peloton for 45 min pushing hard and can bike 10 to 15 miles pretty easily outside on my bike. Once in a while when I am walking around the house my leg feels completely normal. But most days there is stiffness and tightness in some area and it doesn't feel quite right.

This past week I started baby steps toward returning to jogging. My PT held me back a bit because he wanted me to have more quad strength. I feel this is a bit behind others. But I listened to him because the last thing I wanted was a set back. I tell myself that I have the rest of my life to run and I have plenty of other ways to exercise. So just this past week I started jogging (if you call it that) I started with a .25 mile jog on the treadmill and have progressed to 1 mile just today at 3 mph which is crazy slow....but jogging nevertheless. No pain at all and I could probably go further. But have convinced myself to progress slow and steady. I hold on to the siderails just in case. As you all know, a lot of it is mental. But I am on my way back to being able to jog

Also, I started back to doing my yoga routine yesterday which has been wonderful both physically and mentally

 

[Judy adams]

Oh and my range of motion is at 125 pretty easily and to 130 after a serious stretch

 

[Judy adams]

Today is 22 weeks PO for me. I have had full ROM of 130d for about 4 weeks. Focusing on building strength and stretching out the elasticity. Doing squats lunges single leg deadlifts. Jogging up and down hill. Daily walking helps a lot. I can climbs stair two at a time with minimal tightness above the patella. Downstairs is still surprising less smooth. I think however that there is a mental element given that is how the injury happened. I find it helps to aggressively massage the knee nightly using a small roller or ball. Seeing the physio now only once every 10days. He does IMS that releases tension in my quad and calf. By all accounts it seems the it will be a year before the leg is back to normal. We all just need to remain healthy obsessed with our fitness strength and flexibility. I think we can all agree that it Is indeed an obsession...... stay positive and recognize where you have come from. We are a long way from those weeks in the brace!

I wonder why this forum is not attracting people you have more recently suffered this injury. They are who we need to be liven this up.

wow jogging at 22 weeks! I'm impressed!

 

[terry hammer]

I check this sight every once in a while. It was a God send when I first injured myself! My quad rupture was 2/9/17. I am no longer doing PT but spending a lot of time at the gym. I ride the bike, walk the treadmill, lift weights, water aerobics and finally took my first yoga class since before my injury. It was so hard and I was fighting back tears because what I was doing was so basic. After class I felt great and was proud of myself for doing what I could do. Yoga is about listening to your body and that is just what I did. I can't wait to go again. I get extremely stiff if I sit or stand for too long. Basically, I just need to keep moving. I also find I wake up in the night a lot and need to shift my leg from straight to bent or it starts to ache. Going down the stairs never seems easy. I hope that someday I can do it without concentrating so hard! I haven't tried to run or jog. Maybe I will step out of my comfort zone this week. Thank you all for your stories. It has been extremely helpful to me.

 

[The Last in Lin]

I check this sight every once in a while. It was a God send when I first injured myself! My quad rupture was 2/9/17. I am no longer doing PT but spending a lot of time at the gym. I ride the bike, walk the treadmill, lift weights, water aerobics and finally took my first yoga class since before my injury. It was so hard and I was fighting back tears because what I was doing was so basic. After class I felt great and was proud of myself for doing what I could do. Yoga is about listening to your body and that is just what I did. I can't wait to go again. I get extremely stiff if I sit or stand for too long. Basically, I just need to keep moving. I also find I wake up in the night a lot and need to shift my leg from straight to bent or it starts to ache. Going down the stairs never seems easy. I hope that someday I can do it without concentrating so hard! I haven't tried to run or jog. Maybe I will step out of my comfort zone this week. Thank you all for your stories. It has been extremely helpful to me.

As part of my personal therapy program I used aerobics benches at my gym for box steps. These are the kind with a 4 inch platform and you can add risers in 2 inch increments. I would do 3 sets going straight up and back down and three to the side and back down just with the "bad leg". I would focus on lowing myself reasonably slowly. After the step ups I would bring the bench up to about 22 inches, sit on the bench, and practice standing up with just the injured leg and lower myself slowly back to a sitting position. Now steps aren't a problem and sometimes see how slowly I can lower myself when walking down stairs just for fun. I'm sure it looks weird but it feels good to know I can do it again even now.

 

[Steve-O]

Ok, I’m a bit late to the party, but I finally found the old EpicSki thread. I ruptured my right quad tendon on Nov 4th 2016 and found the thread shorty after. It’s was a great source of info and really helped me get through some tough patches. Glad to see many familiar names on here. I’ll be checking in weekly to see how you all are doing

I’m about 11 months post op and while I can’t say I’m 100% better, it’s getting close. Not sure I’ll ever be 100%, but at least I’m able to do most things now.

 

[The Last in Lin]

Ok, I’m a bit late to the party, but I finally found the old EpicSki thread. I ruptured my right quad tendon on Nov 4th 2016 and found the thread shorty after. It’s was a great source of info and really helped me get through some tough patches. Glad to see many familiar names on here. I’ll be checking in weekly to see how you all are doing

I’m about 11 months post op and while I can’t say I’m 100% better, it’s getting close. Not sure I’ll ever be 100%, but at least I’m able to do most things now.

Welcome back. I was hoping more old timers would find their way here.