1st time patellar dislocation

hey rachel, i'm 15 too and i dislocated my knee cap august of 2005 playing baskeball. i've had knee problems since i was in 6th grade, mostly genetic, but the year round sports didn't help either. the first time i did it, i thought it was the worst pain that i'd ever felt, or so i thought. i went to my sports doctor and he said that there was a 5% chance that it would ever happen again, so i was relieved. a couple months later, when i finished physical theropy, i went back to basketball for pre-season training. i was playing and dislocated it again. i went back to my doctor, and he gave me two options. stop playing sports or get surgery. i chose the surgery. he gave me an orthopedic surgeon, and i started going in. i had a tibial tubercle transfer, which is when they take the patella tendon which runs right over your knee cap and attaches right below on your tibia and cut it and screw it back in. they also did some more stuff, but i really don't understand what he was talking about. i just think that he looked around in my knee and did some minor "cleaning up".nearly two months later i found myself with an IV in my arm and strapped to an ice cold operating table. i woke up, not feeling anything, in a warm bed. i had a full leg cast all up my left knee. for two weeks i was out of school on morphine and vicodin. even with the pain medacations, the worst pain was right after. it got better day by day. i slept on the couch for a week, because i couldn't move. it hurt to stand, and it hurt to sit. it was to this day the worst pain that i've ever gone through. i had it right before christmas, so i could get it done with. i'm still not fully healed, although i am playing basketball. i was on crutches for 4 months with a full cast. crutches aren't fun, but i did what i had to do. to this day i don't regret what i had done. my knee is like new, even though i have a 4 inch scar running vertical right below my knee cap, and 3 other 1 inch scars bordering my patella. this is my expieriance, and i hope everything turns out okay for you, i just thought that you would want to know how things went for me, a person who went through the whole procedure. i did physical theropy for 4 months and now i'm back running again. it's one of the best feelings in the world.

hope everything turns out okay!
-katie

Hi Rachel!
Well you are not going to get out of Physical Therapy. I had a torn Lateral Miniscus, Plica and my knee cap is 40 degrees off from where it should be. Quad sets, quad strengthing is the key to get some strength to hold the knee into place. Did it work for me,well not exactly. I am also 33 years old not your age. I also have level 3 cartilage wear also. I played alot of sports all my life and I think that was some of the reason this happened. I think that if you do the strengthening program it will help you unless there is another underlying problem like a cyst or something. If you have a knee scope to clean up the miniscus tear that may give your some relief as well. I am have my knee realligned 10/12 because I have had the therapy, the scope and to no avail I am still having alot of pain and problems. I have the Chicago White Sox knee Dr. so I feel since we are die hard Sox fans that I am in good hands. I can answer any questions you have if you want? I hope that all works out ok for you, I am sure it will. Take care!

KristinS317