Best Exercises for Fractured Patella
Read More >
A patella fracture is a common injury following trauma to the front of the knee. There is a nearly even distribution of incidence between men and women, with 56% of cases in women and 44% in men (Larsen et al., 2016). Most cases are related to a fall directly on the knee cap or a road traffic incident if the knee hits the dashboard.
If the fracture is simple, the bone remains united and the individual is in good health, it may be possible to treat it conservatively without surgery. In these cases, or following surgery if necessary, the knee must be immobilised entirely to aid healing. Therefore, a Fracture Patella Knee brace and crutches will be necessary for some time. Often, recovery can be 6-8 weeks, but it is not uncommon to take longer if the fracture is complex or the individual is in poor health.
James McCormack is a Physical Therapist specialising in knee, foot & ankle injuries. www.james-mccormack.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Earnings from this are used to create free-to-read content without affecting the price of the knee braces or products we recommend.
We recommend the United Orhto Fractured Patella knee brace, a full-length, complete knee immobilizer. The long length of the knee brace is vital to help to keep the knee still. Shorter braces, while more comfortable and less cumbersome, will still allow some movement and are not recommended.
This brace is recommended to be worn with an undersleeve for better comfort and to prevent any rubbing and irritation of the skin.
This knee brace has a hinged design that can be set to full extension for the period of complete immobilization.
It is then possible to increase the range of movement incrementally once the initial phase has been completed and there has been satisfactory healing.
The open design can be more comfortable, especially in warmer temperatures. It is recommended to be worn with an undersleeve for comfort.
This cotton under-sleeve can make these long braces more comfortable by preventing rubbing and irritation of the skin. We recommend using a sleeve like this under a brace.
With the immobilization of the knee, it will be necessary to use crutches. This will also ensure non-weight bearing to aid healing.
This is not medical advice. We recommend a consultation with a medical professional such as James McCormack. He offers Online Physiotherapy Appointments weekly.