Numerous Patella Dislocations and Only 15 Years Old...Anyone else have the same problem?

Sounds like muscle weakness may be the problem you are having, so your personal trainer idea might work as an alternative. But you may find it similar to the physical therapy sessions you have had in the past. Physical therapy is really key to keeping your knees in good shape after surgery. Although the exercises might be boring, it will also help you gain necessary strength to prevent your knees from slipping. The reason why is the muscles around our knees are generally weaker than other muscles in our body. This is especially the case for those who have had surgery like yourself. It is also why a lot of strenuous exercise can result in knee injury without the proper training. So with therapy and exercise your muscles will become stronger and better able to hold you knees in place. You could consider trying your physio exercises again as perscribed for a few months and see if there is a difference before spending heaps of cash on a trainer. And once you gain strength in your knees you should be able to do exercises that are more fun again. Good luck!

Hi,
I know you posted almost 6 years ago. I was having the same exact problems you had. My knee was dislocating numerous times a day. I had surgery on both my knees when i was 13 and 14. Im pretty sure they just transfered my tendon and tried to tighten things up. Everything was ok for about a year and then dislocating started again. I am now 24 years old and Im getting a TTO. My right knee doesnt dislocate very much but it is severely malaligned. my left knee dislocates every couple of months. but i am very careful with my actions, no running, no sports, pretty much nothing. I am wondering if you ever ended up getting any sort of surgery to help you? i waited so long to get this surgery now because i couldnt find a doctor i trusted. Me waiting caused me to have severe arthitis because of all the times it pops out. Please respond i would love to hear from you and how you are doing. we are about the same age i would think. I am getting my surgery on January 25, 2011. I have read tons of things people wrote on this website about the surgery i am getting and it certainly doesnt sound fun. i just hope it works and i know it will all be worth it. Thanks!

Hey, i know what you are going through....im 15, and my knee has really badly dislocated twice. After the first time it happend, i was so traumatized by the pain that i didnt excersise again for a whole year. Finally, my doctors convinced me to do sports again, and told me that if i wore a brace id be fine. they were really wrong. My first field hockey game, out it popped. Needless to say, i was even more paranoid about it dislocating, especially since it had started subluxing (popping out a little). Obviously, braces werent doing enough. so my doctor suggested i have a lateral realease. I had that last april, and its still up in the air as to weather im gonna be ok. anyway, it sounds like your knee isnt just going to "get better", and maybe you should consider surgery. Just because mine isnt working doesnt mean that others wont (its an 85% sucsess rate), and its a pretty minor surgery.

Firstly, My Long Story- I am fifteen years old now, almost 16, and for the past 5-6 years of my life, I have had a lot of problems with both my right and left patellas. It all started with my right patella which dislocated then relocated by itself at least twice a year. Then, one day I was rollerblading with my right brace on and to my surprise, I went around a corner and my left knee dislocated and then relocated by itself. Since then, I was stuck suffering through sports wearing itchy, scratchy, bulky braces. And, whenever I did a fun activity with my family, my mind would be worrying about my knees, just praying that I could have fun without them dislocating. Everything was going good besides the fact that I had to go through the knee problems in the first place, but everything seemed to be pretty much under control. Well, it couldn’t be that great for me... Last year at a cheerleading practice, (which was towards the beginning of the school year), I was wearing these new TAN colored braces that I just got and was pretty darn excited that I wasn’t wearing the big black ones that you could see a mile away. But, the tan ones I later found out had no support what-so-ever. They were just a flimsy pair of stretcy tan material that said that they would support the patella...but basically did just the opposite. I was about ready to do a jump and was warming up. I lifted my right leg into the position it would be in the jump and my right knee cap slid off to the side with me in complete panic- I was standing there with my knee cap dislocated and I couldn’t move my leg- it was completely locked up. Then, thank goodness, my knee cap slowly slid back into place. As I watched. After that, I started going back to my wonderful black bulky knee braces. At least they protected me better then those darn tan ones. Everything was going good again until we were in gym class playing a sport that I was very fond of- soccer. I was pretty good at it and it was coming pretty easy to me. Well, the ball was coming to me and I lifted my leg to kick it. The necxt thing I knew, I was down on the ground crying and screaming. My right knee had totally dislocated and I could see where is was at (and totally not suppoe to be) through my knee brace. I am actually tearing up right now while writing this- it was a pretty dramitic time. My P.E. teacher was so nice and I thank God that he was there. He tried to lift me onto the back of a golf cart which probably wasn’t the best move. My leg muscles tensed up and I screamed so loud that I could of woken the living dead. You can’t even IMAGINE how much pain it is when this happens and I hope you never have to find out. Pretty soon the ambulance was there and they gave my a pain shot into my toosh and I was actually joking around with them and everything. I was pretty relaxed until they tried to put this blow-up thing around my leg to support my knee until I got to the hospital. Once again, I screamed a blood-curdling scream because it hurt sooooooo bad. They eventually got me to the hospital where the stuff that was suppose to make me relaxed and calm didn’t work very well. I squeezed my Mom’s hand as the doctor relocated my patella. And yes, there were some more screams during that time...it seemed like forever. But boy did it feel good when it was back where it was supposed to be. After that time, I visted the Mayo Clinic and saw specialists who told me that my slight knock-knees, shallow patellular grooves, and a little bit of hyperextension, plus some other factors, were a winning combination for my problems. I saw the physical therapist there, who is a complete sweetheart, and he taught we a lot of exercises to do to strenthen my knees. And I even walked for the first time in weeks without my immobilizer on. It was very, very scary. I felt so unprotected without that thing. For the next couple months, after I healed, I did a ton of exercises everyday. And, my leg muscles bulged out of my legs! Really! And, it did help a lot. Then things started to get crazy over the holidays and my exercising kind of wore off for a while. I had to use the school’s weight-lifting machines and had to access to them over the holiday season. During a winter colorguard flag routine, my right knee once again dislocated then relocated during the show. It hurt a ton, but I kept going like nothing was wrong. And, I even had a specially designed kneebrace on for my condition. I cried and cried after that in the band room and was so upset and scared. I just knew that I was doing so good and getting better, then that had to happen. My friends, teachers, and family all supported me though and that made me feel a lot better. So I kept up with the exercises and it was getting better and better once again. I was doing so good that I got brave and was carefully jumping on a friend’s trampoline. Well, I now hate trampolines and will never get on one again. All I did was sit on it and roll backwards to do a backwards summersalt and my right knee once again dislocated but stayed dislocated. I had to go to the E.R. and get it relocated again. This time went a lot better and I was really relaxed and calm. I was scared more then anything. And, I just hated to see my family’s faces when they came and saw me in pain. That is the worst feeling- just knowing that you are causing your family so much worrying and sadness. I toughened up and the pain medication kicked in that time. It all went good. When it was relocated I said, “Wow- did you already put it back in?” So, more exercising and things like that. Then, summer came and the exercising stopped. I was messing around with some cheerleading stuff and my right knee dislocated right in my living room. But, this time I relocated it myself and for that, I am so proud. Then, two incidents happened at the pool, just swimming, when my right knee decided to go out and back in. It makes me sad that I have to go through this, but I just need to stay stong and keep working. If exercise is the only option, I have to make myself do it. I want to be normal and not depend on braces to enable me to have fun and be active. So, now that school has started again, I an back to doing my weight-lifting and it should be helping. My Question: Is anyone else around my age going through the same thing? I am activiely involved in cheerleading and dance is it is embarrissing to have to wear bulky black knee braces all the time. Plus, it disables me from being able to do a lot of things as good as I could without all the extra bulk and weight from the braces. What do you all do? Are there any less bulky and flesh/tan colored braces out there that give the same support and stabilization for the patella? I would just really like to know if someone else out there is having to go through the same things that I am because it feels awlful to be so...alone... Please respond! I would GREATLY appreciate it.